A drone strike originating from Sudan killed 17 people in the eastern Chad border town of Tine late Wednesday, the Chadian government said Thursday, marking the latest deadly spillover from Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
The attack comes nearly a year after clashes erupted between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army in April 2023, with fighting frequently spilling across the porous desert border into Chad. Prior incidents along the border have already claimed civilian and military lives, prompting Chad to close the border on February 23 to reduce the risk of escalation.
A government spokesman condemned the strike, saying: “Despite firm warnings to the belligerents in Sudan and the closure of the border… the town of Tine has again been targeted by a drone attack. This latest assault of extreme gravity has caused the death of 17 of our compatriots and left several others injured.”
Initial reports from military sources had placed the death toll at 16. The RSF denied responsibility in a Telegram post, blaming Sudan’s regular army for the attack.
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby convened the defence and security council overnight, ordering the army to “retaliate starting from tonight to any attack coming from Sudan,” according to a statement released on social media.
Tine and its Sudanese twin town, Tina, are separated only by a narrow, often dry watercourse, making the border highly porous. The area has seen repeated cross-border attacks, including a rocket strike in late February that killed 15 Chadian soldiers and eight civilians.
Darfur, bordering Chad, has largely been under RSF control since October, following their capture of El-Fasher. On February 21, RSF forces reportedly took control of Tina, directly across from Tine.
The civil war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people, nearly one million of whom have fled into Chad, according to the United Nations.
The latest drone attack underscores the growing danger of Sudan’s conflict spilling further into neighbouring countries, heightening regional instability.
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