Chadian military forces have reportedly killed dozens of Nigerian fishermen while targeting suspected militants near Lake Chad, according to local sources and anti-jihadist militia who spoke with AFP on Thursday.
The incident follows a recent Boko Haram assault on the Chadian military, which left around 40 soldiers dead near the Nigerian border, as reported by the Chadian government and local sources on Monday. The assault targeted a military garrison with more than 200 soldiers on Sunday night, a source told AFP. The Chadian presidency released a statement confirming that the attack occurred near Ngouboua in western Chad, resulting in “about 40 fatalities.”
In response, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the site of the attack and announced an operation to pursue the assailants into their remote hideouts. “Boko Haram members took control of the garrison, seized weapons, set fire to heavily armed vehicles, and then retreated,” noted an anonymous local source.
On Wednesday, Chadian forces launched an airstrike over Tilma island, located within Nigeria’s Kukawa district in Lake Chad. The area was reportedly bombed while fishermen were working, leading to widespread casualties, according to sources. Two anti-jihadist militia members aiding Nigerian soldiers in combating insurgent groups in the area confirmed that “scores” of people died in the attack.
Babakura Kolo, a leader of an anti-jihadist militia, stated, “A Chadian military fighter jet attacked fishermen on Tilma island, resulting in numerous fatalities.” He explained that the military might have mistaken the fishermen for Boko Haram militants linked to the earlier attack on Chad’s base.
A Chadian army official who requested anonymity explained, “Boko Haram often merges with local fishermen and farmers after attacks, complicating efforts to differentiate between civilians and insurgents.”
Most fishermen affected by the aerial bombardment were from Nigerian towns along Lake Chad, including Baga, Doron-Baga, and Duguri, reported Ibrahim Liman, another militia leader. Fisherman Sallau Arzika, who escaped the scene, described how the fighter jet circled Tilma before bombing, causing chaos as people scattered for safety. “Many fishermen died. The exact toll is unclear, as bodies remain scattered across Tilma,” he added. Some injured survivors were transported to a military base in Mile 4, near Baga.
Doron-Baga fisherman Labo Sani shared with AFP that two friends were killed in the airstrike, and another was critically injured. “We were fishing, completely unaware that a fighter jet would attack us,” Sani said.
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