Intense airstrikes target jihadist hideouts

Since Friday, Chadian armed forces have launched sustained bombing campaigns against Boko Haram positions on remote islands scattered across Lake Chad—a vast, marshy expanse shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. Local reports confirm that militants fled islands such as Dogon Chukwu, Kangarwa, and Gashakar using small boats, often accompanied by their families. Clashes erupted on Kaukeri Island, a key Boko Haram bastion, where Chadian troops engaged jihadist fighters in fierce combat.

Civilian casualties emerge from military strikes

Civilian lives were also affected by the operations. Dozens of Nigerian fishermen working on islands under Boko Haram control were reportedly killed in the bombardments. Disturbing footage obtained from hospitals in Bosso, Niger, shows critically injured victims receiving emergency care. In this volatile region, fishermen frequently operate under jihadist pressure, forced to pay extortionate taxes to continue their work.

Regional forces respond to recent massacres

The military offensive comes in the wake of deadly attacks targeting Chadian troops. Last week, Chad declared three days of national mourning following the assassination of two high-ranking generals in a brutal ambush. Days earlier, an assault on a military base along Lake Chad’s shoreline claimed at least 24 soldier lives. A Nigerian intelligence source reveals that the aerial strikes were meticulously coordinated between Chad, Nigeria, and Niger, with each nation deploying two fighter jets.

Lake Chad remains a hotspot for insurgency

The decade-long insurgency led by Boko Haram and its faction, Islamic State West Africa Province, has left thousands dead and displaced millions across the Lake Chad basin since 2009. As violence spreads to neighboring countries, regional governments have reinvigorated the Multinational Joint Task Force to intensify efforts against these armed groups.