Chad Under Fire for Alleged Airstrike That Killed Nigerian Fishermen

Militants have intensified their attacks following a recent Boko Haram assault that resulted in the deaths of 40 Chadian soldiers. Witnesses reported that an airstrike hit Tilma Island in Nigeria’s Kukawa district on Wednesday, targeting fishermen at work. ...(CONTINUE READING)

Babakura Kolo, a local militia leader, informed AFP that a Chadian fighter jet mistakenly identified the fishermen as Boko Haram militants.A senior officer from Chad, who spoke anonymously, acknowledged the airstrikes near the Nigerian border, emphasizing that insurgents frequently blend in with civilian populations.

President Mahamat Idriss Deby visited the site of the Boko Haram attack on a Chadian military base and pledged to pursue the attackers.Most of the fishermen who died were from nearby Nigerian towns along Lake Chad. Survivors recounted a chaotic scene as the jet circled Tilma before releasing bombs.

The bodies were transported to a military base near Baga, but the exact death toll remains uncertain.Chad’s Operation Haskanite, launched on Monday to eliminate Boko Haram’s presence in the Lake Chad region, is being closely monitored by President Deby.

The Chadian government has called for greater international assistance to tackle the region’s ongoing security challenges.The Lake Chad basin continues to be a stronghold for militant groups, with Boko Haram’s insurgency—now in its fourteenth year—having resulted in over 40,000 deaths and the displacement of millions in the region.