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Boko Haram has showcased its operational strength once again following a deadly attack on a military garrison over the weekend, raising concerns about the group’s capabilities and the security challenges faced by armed forces in the region.
The jihadists’ attack on a military base in the Lake Chad region on Sunday resulted in the deaths of roughly 40 people and injuries to many others, highlighting the ongoing turmoil in an area long afflicted by various militant organizations.
Chad’s government announced the launch of Operation Haskanite on Monday as a direct response to the recent attacks. Interim Prime Minister Abderahim Bireme Hamid explained that the operation is aimed at not only securing the peaceful population but also at “hunting down, rooting out, and obliterating the nuisance capability of Boko Haram and its affiliates.”
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah once again urged the international community to enhance its commitment to counter-terrorism efforts in the region, underlining the importance of collective action in addressing the persistent threat of violent extremism.
The Lake Chad region, characterized by its vast waters and intricate swamps, hosts countless islets that have become refuge points for jihadist groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP). These groups frequently launch attacks on both the national army and innocent civilians, exploiting the region’s challenging terrain to evade capture.
Read also: Attack On A Chad Military Base Kills 40 Soldiers, More Injured
Boko Haram launched an insurgency in Nigeria in 2009, leaving more than 40,000 people dead and displacing two million, and the organisation has since spread to neighbouring countries.
In March 2020, the Chadian army suffered its biggest ever one-day losses in the region, when around 100 troops died in a raid on the lake’s Bohoma peninsula.
The government, as it did at the time, has declared three days of national mourning from Tuesday, with flags flying at half-mast and a ban on celebratory activities.
