The Range of Boko Haram Attacks Expands to Chad

Nigerian militants Boko Haram attacked a village on the shores of Lake Chad on Friday, February 24. This raid marks Boko Haram's first military operation in this neighboring country. The range of attacks by this extremist Islamist group has now expanded to four countries. According to Agence France-Presse, Boko Haram fighters crossed the wide Lake Chad by boat and attacked the village of Ngouboua under the cover of darkness, which is located across the border from the town of Baga in Nigeria. A spokesperson for the Chadian army told a national radio station, "They started shooting at anything that moved." A security source said that two-thirds of the village of Ngouboua, which is a safe haven for refugees fleeing Boko Haram attacks, was set on fire. The security source added that Chadian military forces, supported by air power, responded to the Boko Haram militants' attack, driving them away and destroying their vehicles. According to Chadian officials, one civilian, the village chief, and one soldier were killed, and four others were injured. Two Boko Haram militants were killed in this attack, and five others were injured. This marks a new escalation of Boko Haram attacks, which began six years ago in a war to establish an Islamic caliphate in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring areas, including Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Since 2009, this group has killed thousands and has recently conducted new attacks in Nigeria and in border towns of neighboring countries by expanding the radius of its operations. The escalation of Boko Haram attacks has delayed Nigeria's general elections, originally scheduled for February 14, by six months. Chad, which had been safe from these jihadist militants until Friday, February 24, now faces regional threats from this group. Agence France-Presse reports that Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger announced the start of a joint cooperation to suppress the insurgents this month. This action has raised hopes for the presence of an effective military force and a more effective response to Boko Haram insurgents, who have rendered the operations of Nigerian military forces ineffective so far. Boko Haram militants are now fighting on various fronts against Nigerian forces, yet they remain focused on the key city of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. A local leader and an eyewitness reported that on Thursday, in two separate attacks in a village near Maiduguri, at least 21 people were killed. The militants set fire to the homes and businesses of villagers. Additionally, according to a medical source and a local witness, a female suicide bomber detonated herself in a crowded market in the town of Biu in southern Borno on Thursday, killing 11 people. Hospital officials added that as victims are identified, the casualty figures may rise. Violence in the north of the country has negatively impacted the general elections in Nigeria and accelerated the competition for these decisive elections. Goodluck Jonathan, the current president who is trying to maintain his position, and Muhammadu Buhari, the former military leader who has promised to dismantle Boko Haram, are the two main candidates in this election. The Nigerian Human Rights Commission reported on Friday that 58 people have been killed in pre-election violence and warned of a significant increase in hate speech between the two candidates' camps. The commission added that although Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has a long history of bloody violence after elections, pre-election violence has not been common in recent periods. The commission warned that in the absence of "immediate measures" to neutralize political tensions, the elections, now scheduled for March 28, may be accompanied by severe violence.