A drone strike hit a Chadian military position near the Sudanese border before dawn Friday, killing two soldiers and seriously wounding another, Chadian local authorities and security officials said, raising new concerns about the spillover of Sudan’s war into neighboring countries.
The attack struck a military camp in the border town of Tine, a key transit point for refugees fleeing Sudan’s conflict. Hamit Hassan, the prefect overseeing the department that includes Tine, confirmed the deaths and injury but said authorities had not yet identified who carried out the strike.
A Chadian military intelligence officer, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said preliminary assessments suggested the drone crossed into Chad from Sudan. However, the officer said it remained unclear whether the aircraft was operated by Sudan’s national army or the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, known as the RSF.
“We are still in the process of confirming the origin of this drone,” the officer told Reuters. “If it is a Sudanese military drone, we will exercise our right to retaliate.”
The officer said Chad’s air force base in the eastern city of Abeche had been placed on high alert and that additional ground forces had already been deployed to Tine in response to the attack.
Sudan’s army and the RSF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The strike underscores the growing regional risks posed by Sudan’s civil war, which has increasingly affected border areas and strained relations with neighboring states. Chad has sought to maintain a delicate neutrality since fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival military factions, even as violence and armed activity creep closer to its territory.
Tine plays a critical humanitarian role as a first stop for Sudanese refugees crossing into Chad. Refugees are typically moved onward to camps farther from the border, but humanitarian groups say funding shortfalls have slowed relocations. Aid agencies cite shortages of water, sanitation facilities and shelter at inland sites as major obstacles.
More than 12 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Sudan, according to the International Rescue Committee, making it one of the world’s largest displacement crises. Analysts say the presence of refugees, combined with cross-border military incidents, heightens the risk that Chad could be drawn more directly into the conflict.
Security experts note that the reported use of drones near an international border marks a dangerous escalation, particularly if responsibility is traced to one of Sudan’s warring parties. Any confirmed violation of Chadian airspace could force N’Djamena to reassess its security posture and regional diplomacy, potentially complicating efforts to keep the conflict contained.
For now, Chadian authorities say investigations are continuing, with officials focusing on identifying the drone’s origin while reinforcing defenses along the volatile eastern frontier.
Reuters story
