40 soldiers killed in Chad army base attack

An attack by militants at an army base in Chad's Lac Province has killed at least 40 soldiers, the country's presidency confirmed Monday, reported Xinhua.

The attack occurred Sunday in Barkaram, an island of the province where the military base is located.

As per the statement, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the site Monday morning, paying homage to the deceased soldiers and expressing his sympathy to those wounded.

Deby has launched an operation to "pursue and track down the attackers," the statement said, without revealing any details about which group attacked the army base.

Local media reported that the terror group Boko Haram, known to be active in the Lake Chad Basin, is responsible for the attack.