A jihadist ambush in western Chad’s Lac province on Tuesday morning left a dozen civilians dead, local sources confirmed. The attack, attributed to Nigerian-based Boko Haram fighters, targeted a group of fishermen on the shores of Lake Chad near the island village of Gomirom. The victims—mostly women and children—were “coldly executed,” according to local authorities, reigniting fears over the region’s long-running vulnerability to cross-border insurgent violence.

Fishermen Targeted In Ambush Near Gomirom

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local time, when armed individuals believed to be members of Boko Haram launched a surprise attack on civilians engaged in daily fishing activities. “The victims were coldly executed by the terrorists,” said the village chief of Gomirom. Among the dead were seven women, four children, and one elderly man—all of whom had gone fishing as part of their routine.

Gomirom, located on an island in the northern part of Lake Chad, lies in a volatile zone where the porous borders between Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon have long enabled militant groups to move freely. With its maze of marshlands and islets, the lake has become an ideal refuge for jihadist factions fleeing counterterrorism operations.

Persistent Insecurity In The Lake Chad Basin

The Lac province has been plagued by jihadist violence for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), continuing to operate in the region. These groups, active particularly in northeastern Nigeria, seek to establish a transnational Islamic caliphate and frequently strike across national boundaries.

According to the United Nations, violence linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP has claimed over 35,000 lives and displaced more than 2.7 million people since 2009. While Chadian forces have participated in regional military coalitions to push back the insurgents, attacks on civilians remain frequent, especially in remote lakefront communities with little state protection.

Local sources warn that the latest incident highlights the enduring danger posed by jihadist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin, and the urgent need for renewed regional cooperation and humanitarian support for displaced and traumatized populations.