Chad’s military has been accused of killing “scores” of fishermen in Nigeria while targeting jihadists, days after 40 died in a Boko Haram attack on a military base in Chad, fishermen and anti-jihadist militia told AFP on Thursday.
The Chadian army launched an airstrike pummelling Tilma island in Kukawa district on the Nigerian side of Lake Chad on Wednesday while fishermen were tending to their catch, the sources said. Two anti-jihadist militia assisting Nigerian soldiers said several fishermen were killed in the bombardment.
“The jet mistook the fishermen for Boko Haram terrorists who attacked a military base inside Chad on Sunday,” said Babakura Kolo, an anti-jihadist militia leader. A Chadian general staff officer confirmed the strikes, saying “Boko Haram fighters often blend in with the fishermen and farmers whenever they commit their crimes.”
Most of the fishermen caught up in the aerial attack were from towns on the shores of Lake Chad, said Ibrahim Liman, another anti-jihadist militia. “A large number of fishermen were killed. No one can give an exact number because bodies are still scattered across Tilma,” said fisherman Sallau Arzika.
Chad’s assault, dubbed Operation Haskanite, aims to “hunt down, root out and obliterate the nuisance capability of Boko Haram and its affiliates,” interim Prime Minister Abderahim Bireme Hamid told reporters. The operation is being “personally” directed by President Mahamat Idriss Deby on the ground.
The Lake Chad region’s countless islets serve as hideouts for jihadist groups like Boko Haram, who carry out regular attacks on the countries’ armies and civilians. This latest incident highlights the challenges and risks of anti-terror operations in the remote, contested areas where civilians often get caught in the crossfire.
The Chadian military’s botched air strike, which appears to have mistakenly targeted fishermen, has drawn strong condemnation and raises concerns about the unintended consequences of the counter-terrorism efforts in the volatile Lake Chad basin.
