Suicide attack in Chad's capital: A new phase for Boko Haram?
The simultaneous attack on two buildings in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, is the first assault of its kind since Boko Haram threatened the country and its president.
Security officers stand at the site of a suicide bombing in N'Djamena, Chad, on Sunday. At least 27 people, including four suspected Boko Haram Islamist fighters, were killed and 100 others were injured on Monday in two attacks in Chad's capital.
Moumine Ngarmbassa/Reuters
N'Djamena, Chad
Suicide聽bombers聽on motorcycles simultaneously attacked聽two buildings including the national police academy in Chad's聽capital聽on Monday, killing聽at least聽23聽people and wounding more than 100 others in the first assault of its kind since Islamic militants threatened the country earlier this year, witnesses said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but suspicion quickly fell on Boko Haram, the group based in neighboring Nigeria that already has attacked聽Chadian villages along the lake that divides the two countries.
Chad聽has been a major military ally in the fight against the insurgent group, and Boko Haram's leader has publicly threatened the Chadian president in retaliation.
Information聽Minister聽Hassan Sylla Bakari said at least聽23聽people had been聽killed聽and more than 100 others wounded, in addition to the four dead attackers. Witnesses reported seeing a suicide聽bomber聽in each聽attack; it was not immediately clear what role the other two individuals may have played.
Witnesses said a聽suicide聽bomber聽on a motorcycle blew himself up outside a government building where the head of the national police is based after security officers unsuccessfully tried to subdue the attacker聽by shooting at him.
A second explosion also went off at the headquarters of the national police academy in the capital聽at the same time, witnesses said.
Boko Haram's leader back in February had taunted the Chadian president after he contributed forces to the regional effort to quash the extremist group.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.