Chad's president has ordered the military to retaliate against future attacks from Sudan following a drone attack that killed at least 17 people and injured several others attending a funeral.
Wearing military uniform, President Idris Mahamat Déby convened an emergency security meeting on Wednesday evening, where he ordered the military to be on high alert. He also ordered a total closure of the border with Sudan.
He described the attack targeting the border town of Tiné as outrageous and a blatant aggression against Chad's territorial integrity.
He said that it had happened despite warnings to the two sides battling each other in Sudan and a previous closure of the border.
Last month, Chad closed its border with Sudan until further notice to stop repeated incursions by Sudanese armed groups, allowing only exceptional exemptions on humanitarian grounds with prior authorisation.
Residents of Tiné indicated that the victims of Wednesday's attack were mourners gathered for a funeral ceremony that involved reading the Koran.
The attack drew condemnation from various quarters, including the National Assembly and ruling party MPs. The government expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and stated it had strengthened the posture of its defence and security forces.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), suspected of carrying out the attack, deny involvement and blame Sudan's army for the strike.
Chad's actions raise fears of escalating violence in a region already affected by the devastating civil war in Sudan, which has led to significant loss of life and mass displacement of people, particularly into Chad.
