Chad’s president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has directed the military to respond forcefully to cross-border attacks from Sudan, following a deadly drone strike that killed at least 17 people near the frontier.
The attack struck the town of Tine during a funeral gathering, with explosions hitting a residential area and leaving multiple casualties, including children. Local accounts described chaos at the scene as mourners were caught in the blast.
Chadian authorities have blamed armed groups linked to Sudan’s conflict, accusing them of attempting to extend their violence into Chadian territory. In an emergency security meeting, Deby condemned the strike as a serious breach of sovereignty and warned that any further incursions would trigger immediate retaliation.
He ordered the armed forces to secure the entire eastern border and to respond decisively to any threat, whether originating from Sudan’s military or the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The incident reflects the growing spillover from Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which has intensified along border regions. In recent weeks, drone attacks and clashes near Darfur have increasingly impacted civilians, with humanitarian groups reporting rising casualties.
Chad had already moved to close its border with Sudan following earlier violence in the same region, where both soldiers and civilians were killed.
