20 killed as Boko Haram terrorists and the army clash on Chad Lake, Chad

At least 11 civilians were killed on Sunday in an attack attributed to Boko Haram on an island in Lake Chad near the village of Ngouboua, according to the Chadian army. Security forces later said they killed nine of the assailants during a pursuit operation, bringing the total death toll from the incident to 20.

The attack occurred around 5:00 a.m. local time. Armed men arrived by canoe and targeted fishermen who had gone out to work. Colonel Moussa Djibrine, operations commander in Lake Chad Province, told the Spanish news agency EFE that the attackers killed four women and seven men before stealing their fish.

Alerted to the assault, the Chadian army launched a pursuit and “neutralized nine” of those involved, Djibrine said.

The Lake Chad region, which borders Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, has long been a hotspot for violence by Boko Haram and other jihadist groups that operate across the basin. Civilians, including fishermen and farmers, are frequently targeted despite the presence of security forces.

No further details on the military operation or the broader response were immediately available.