New battle fears as terror assault at funeral kills 17 folks and injures 123 extra
The leader of an African nation has declared the military has been placed on high alert after a horrific drone strike which killed 17 people at funeral and injured 123
The horror attack claimed the lives of 17 people (Stock)
Fears of a new war have surged after a horror drone strike killed 17 mourners who were attending a funeral.
Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, said 123 people were wounded from the strike and 66 people were rushed to hospital after being seriously injured.
The frightening drone attack hit the town of Mabrouka in the Wadi Fira, Chad, with a military spokesman announcing all of those killed were civilians. The strike is suspected to have been carried out by a drone from a Sudanese paramilitary group – the Rapid Support Forces.
Last month, the Sudanese paramilitary group the RSF claimed control of the border town of Tina, Sudan. The town is separated from the town of Tine in Chad only by a narrow stream bed that is dry for the majority of the year. In response to the horrific attack, Chadian President Idris Mahamat Déby held an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon and placed the military on high alert.
Alongside this, he ordered the “total closure” of Chad’s border with Sudan. President Déby dubbed the horrific attack as an “outrageous and a blatant aggression” and an intrusion on Chad’s territorial integrity. This is not the first instance Chad has shut its border with its eastern neighbour Sudan.
Chad and Sudan share a hefty 1,400km-long (870 miles) border which has traditionally been difficult to control. The drone strike has triggered condemnation from politicians in Chad, including those from the National Assembly and MPs from the ruling party.
In response to the strike, a government spokesman said: “The government bows with deep dismay to the memory of the victims and extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”
The spokesman added Chad had now “strengthened the posture of its defence and security forces” and is now ready to pursue its rights inside Sudanese territory “in strict compliance with the rules of international law.”
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which controls most of the western Darfur region bordering Chad, is suspected of carrying out the attack. The group has denied any involvement in the strike and has blamed Sudan’s army.
The Sudanese army has blamed the RSF for the attack. Last month, Chad closed its border with Sudan “until further notice” in response to numerous incursions into the country by Sudanese armed groups. Chad’s government said the previous move was aimed at preventing “any risk of the conflict spreading.”
The violent unrest in Sudan has been ongoing since the eruption of the Sudanese Civil War in April 2023. The war was sparked after a power struggle descended into widespread violence in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and in other areas across the country.
The bloody conflict has created the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet and has also pushed parts of the African nation to famine. The UAE has been accused of backing and funding the RSF.
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