Nigeria's 'Boko Haram' militants attack Chad for first time

by Rashida Adjani and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, N'Djamena, Chad

10 minutes ago

Suspected Nigerian Boko Haram militants have carried out an attack on Chad overnight, the first such assault on Chadian soil, security sources say.
Officials said the fighters crossed Lake Chad by motorboat and attacked a village on the shores of the lake.
Chad recently joined Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon in a military coalition against Boko Haram.
The militants were pushed back by Chadian troops after killing several people, a resident told Reuters.
Residents said the militants set fire to many straw houses in the village of Ngouboua.
The number of casualties was unknown but Chadian officials say a local chief was killed during the attack.
Chadian military aircraft carried out airstrikes against the militants, destroying their vessels, officials told AFP.

Chadian police patrol Lake Chad

Approximately 7,000 people fled to the village of Ngouboua after Boko Haram attacked the Nigerian town of Baga across the border in January.
Chad has recently deployed troops in Cameroon and Nigeria to help fight the Boko Haram insurgency.
The Islamist militant group has intensified its attacks against Nigeria's neighbours over the past fortnight, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes.