Gunmen have attacked Chad’s presidential complex on Wednesday, leaving at least 19 people dead. The assault occurred at 7:45 PM when an armed commando unit stormed the building, prompting a fierce response from the Presidential Guard.
Government spokesman and foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah confirmed the casualties, stating that 18 assailants and one security agent were killed. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire near the complex as chaos unfolded.
Tanks were deployed on the streets surrounding the presidential building during the attack. Authorities are yet to provide further details about the perpetrators or their motives.
“There were 18 dead and six injured among the 24-strong commando unit that launched the assault, and we suffered one death and three injured, one of them seriously,” he said.
Koulamallah, declared the situation under control after Wednesday’s attack on the presidential complex. He stated the assailants were overpowered, dismissing initial claims linking them to Boko Haram.
Koulamallah described the attackers as drunken and inept, referencing “Pieds Nickeles,” a French comic about hapless criminals. He revealed that the surviving assailants appeared drugged and failed to overpower security forces.
The armed group reportedly confronted four guards before entering the complex but were subdued. Chad, under military rule, regularly faces attacks by Boko Haram, particularly in the Lake Chad region.
Hours before the attack, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with President Mahamat Idriss Deby. This comes as Chad navigates challenges, including a recent military agreement’s termination with its former colonial power, France.
