Chad’s President, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, vowed unwavering action, declaring, « We will continue this fight with renewed resolve until this threat is completely eliminated ». His statement came in response to a brazen assault carried out by a Boko Haram splinter faction on May 4, targeting the Barka Tolorom military base along the Chadian shoreline of Lake Chad. The brutal raid claimed the lives of 24 soldiers, underscoring the persistent and evolving danger posed by the insurgent group.
Chadian soldiers board a Multinational Joint Task Force boat at a military base in Lake Chad Province on May 6, 2026. Chad declared three days of national mourning after a new attack by Boko Haram jihadists on May 6 that killed two generals in the volatile Lake Chad Basin. Chadian soldiers are frequently targeted by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, a vast expanse of water and marshland dotted with islands, located between Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP) 