Lake Chad: 11 fishermen killed, army claims to have shot down nine assailants

The assault occurred around 5:00 am local time. Armed men arrived by canoe and opened fire on fishermen who had gone out to work before stealing their catch, Colonel Moussa Djibrine, commander of operations in the Lake Province, told EFE news agency.

Among the civilians killed were seven men and four women. The military official reported that the death toll from this incident has reached at least 20, including the nine assailants that the army claims to have neutralized.

Chadian forces launched a pursuit after being alerted. Colonel Moussa Djibrine did not provide further details on the identity of the slain assailants or on any possible arrests made during the operation.

The Lake Province, which borders Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, remains one of the main hotspots of the jihadist insurgency in the Lake Chad basin. In May, the Chadian government declared a 21-day state of emergency in the region following a surge in Boko Haram attacks and population displacements.

The attack in Ngouboua comes just days after another shooting attributed to Boko Haram in the Far North region of Cameroon. At least 13 civilians were killed during the night of September 16 to 17 in Madegoua, in the Makary district, and one person was injured.