Chad: Suspected Boko Haram attack in Ngouboua Feb. 21

Event

Suspected Boko Haram militants ambushed a military patrol in the village of Ngouboua, Lake Chad region, on Wednesday, February 21, killing two soldiers. If confirmed, it will be the first Boko Haram attack in the country since May 2017, when the group attacked a Chadian military base, also in the Lake Chad region.

Context

Boko Haram militants use islands located on Lake Chad as a safe haven.

Since 2015, numerous attacks had been perpetrated by Boko Haram in Chad, especially in N'Djamena and areas around Lake Chad . This area represents the convergence point of the four countries most afflicted by the West African Islamist insurgency: Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria.

Advice

Due to the terrorist threat, individuals in the country are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities and to remain vigilant at all times, especially when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.). For these and other security reasons, many Western governments advise against all travel to areas near the borders with Niger, Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Nigeria, and the Lake Chad region, as well as nonessential travel to the rest of the country, including N'Djamena.