Chad declares 3-day mourning after deadly Boko Haram attacks on soldiers

Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam 

Chad on Thursday began a three-day national mourning for soldiers killed in recent terrorist attacks in the Lake Chad region.

Twenty-three soldiers were killed and 26 others injured on Monday in an assault by Boko Haram militants on the Barka Tolorom island military base in the region.

Late Wednesday, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno signed a decree declaring the mourning.

"During this period, flags are flown at half-mast and all festive activities are prohibited. Only religious music and prayers are permitted in the media and places of worship," the decree stated.

The mourning declaration came just hours after local media reported another deadly Boko Haram attack on soldiers in Lake Chad on Wednesday. There was no official announcement regarding the number of casualties.

The Lake Chad region, bordering Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon, has long faced attacks by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.