Chad has declared a 20-day state of emergency in Lake province following terrorist attacks by Boko Haram militants on soldiers. According to a statement released by the country’s army, the emergency measure will run from last midnight to 27th of this month.

 

The statement urged officials and security forces to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of people and their property during the period. 23 Chadian soldiers were killed and 26 were injured on Monday in an assault by Boko Haram militants on the Barka Tolorom island military base in the province.

The Lake province is located in the Lake Chad region, bordering Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. The militant group Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, have been active in the Lake Chad Basin for more than a decade, inflicting heavy human and material losses across the region.