Chad’s military says it has carried out airstrikes on Boko Haram positions in neighbouring Nigeria to avenge twin suicide bombings in Chad’s capital that were blamed on the extremist group. The military says its helicopters have struck at least six bases in Nigeria used by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Earlier Chad said it had arrested at least five suspects in connection to the suicide bombings that killed 34 people.The country has also banned religious burqas- a garment covering the whole body from head to feet worn by Muslim women. Monday’s attacks were the first of their kind in Chad and appeared to be retaliation by Boko Haram for Chad’s leading role in an offensive against the militants.
Chad said Thursday its military carried out retaliatory airstrikes against Boko Haram militants in neighboring Nigeria after a pair of suicide bombings earlier this week in the Chadian capital that killed at least 33 people. The military said in a statement that the airstrikes targeted six militant camps and caused “considerable human and material losses.” There were no details on where exactly the strikes took place. Monday’s deadly blasts happened at a police headquarters and police academy in N’Djamena where more than 100 people were also injured.
Prime Minister Kalzeube Pahimi Deubet said Wednesday that in response to the attacks the government was banning the wearing and sale of burqas in the country. Chad, along with Niger and Cameroon, deployed troops earlier this year to fight Boko Haram after the militants launched a series of cross-border attacks. Last week, those countries joined Nigeria and Benin in announcing a new regional task force headquartered in N’Djamena to counter the militants.
