Chad officials reported that several people were killed in the Central African country after a foiled attack on an intelligence agency that was allegedly conducted by members of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF).
The agency that was targeted was the headquarters of the nation's National State Security Agency (ANSE), which was located in the capital N'Djamena. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the leader of the PSF party, Yaya Dillo, said that the military had surrounded him as well as others at the party's headquarters.
Alleged Attack on Chad Intelligence Agency
The local ministry said that law enforcement officers were able to foil the attack "with efficiency" and claimed that the situation was "completely under control." Additionally, the government accused the finance secretary of the opposition party of being responsible for an assassination attempt against the Supreme Court president on Wednesday.
It remained unclear whether or not it was a separate incident or whether the court president was in the security agency's office during the assault. Tensions run high in Chad as the nation gears up for presidential elections that are scheduled in May this year, as per CNN.
The elections will mark the first of their kind since military leader Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby took control of the government in 2020 following the death of his father on the battlefield. The government previously warned that it was crucial to highlight that every person who was planning to disrupt the democratic process would be taken to court.
Officials did not provide additional details on the total number of casualties that resulted from the latest attack. The recent statement came as authorities promised that they would release the death toll "later on."
Netblocks, an internet monitoring firm, said that network data showed there had been a "disruption to internet connectivity" in the nation following the reports of a "deadly attack" in the intelligence agency headquarters.
Residents living in N'Djamena reported hearing intense gunfire near the PSF's main office on Wednesday, adding that they observed several military vehicles traveling to the area. One witness also said that the PSF buildings were cordoned off, according to BBC.
Political Battle for Power
One of Dillo's colleagues, the PSF's general secretary, said that despite the government's claims, it was their headquarters that came under attack from soldiers. Their members were allegedly trying to retrieve the body of their colleague Ahmed Torabi.
The latter was said to have been arrested and shot dead on Tuesday before having his corpse dumped outside the ANSE buildings. The government said that Torabi was the one who had tried to assassinate the president of the Supreme Court.
Dillo and the current governing party ruler are cousins and intend to face off against each other in the upcoming elections. Deby had previously pledged to hand over power to an elected government after 18 months. It was a deadline that was not achieved before postponing the election to this year, said Aljazeera.
On the other hand, France, which is a former colonial power, has been supporting Deby since the beginning of the transition. The decision raised eyebrows both in and out of the country. The French nation currently has roughly 1,000 troops stationed in Chad that are ordered to fight against jihadist groups across West Africa.
Related Article:
Australia: 30,000 Residents Ordered to Evacuate Amid 'Catastrophic' Bushfire Threat
