Dozens Feared Dead After Air Strikes on Lake Chad Islands

Unspecified numbers of people are feared dead following air strikes reportedly carried out by the Chadian military on suspected Boko Haram enclaves in the Lake Chad region.

The strikes were said to have targeted two islands believed to be occupied by insurgents operating within the Lake Chad basin.

AFP quoted a member of a civilian militia group and an official of a fishermen’s union as saying that many fishermen and other residents may have been caught in the bombardment.

The operation was reportedly carried out by Chadian fighter jets as part of ongoing offensives against jihadist groups active around Lake Chad.

Although there has been no official confirmation of the casualty figure, local sources expressed fears that the death toll could be significant due to the number of people believed to have been on the islands at the time of the attacks.

Neither the Chadian nor Nigerian authorities had issued an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.

The Lake Chad region, shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, has remained a major conflict zone for years, with Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents frequently clashing with regional military forces.