Chad army says at least 20 soldiers killed in Lake Chad attack

N'DJAMENA - At least 20 Chadian soldiers were killed in the early hours of Thursday by suspected Boko Haram assailants following at attack on their patrol around the Lake Chad area, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa said.

"We deplore the death of about 20 of our soldiers during a routine patrol in the locality," Bermandoa told Reuters, adding that the attackers were repulsed by the army. He said troops from a multinational force the region had reinforced, in order to seal off the locality and track the insurgents.