N’Djamena: An attack on Chad’s presidential palace left 18 assailants dead and six in custody, with one soldier killed and three wounded, state media reported Thursday.
The attack on Wednesday night occurred while Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno was inside the palace, but authorities said the situation was quickly brought under control.
“The situation is completely under control. There is no fear,” Foreign Affairs Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said while surrounded by soldiers in a live Facebook broadcast filmed inside what appeared to be a quiet presidential palace late Wednesday.
Chad’s palace guards repelled a disorganised attack by intoxicated local youths in N’Djamena during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit. Rumours falsely linked the attack to Boko Haram, a militant group operating in West Africa.
Chad, grappling with political instability since Deby Itno’s controversial election and his father’s 2021 death, continues to face regional and internal challenges.