Local residents say the casualties include people attending the funeral and children playing nearby.
Published on 19 March 2026
A drone strike launched from Sudan has killed 17 people in Chad, according to the Chadian government, which has vowed to retaliate against any further attacks as the civil war in the neighboring country continues.
A Chadian government spokesman on Thursday announced the death toll from the attack on the border town of Tiné, which was targeted despite “various stern warnings addressed to the various belligerents in the Sudan conflict and the closure of the border”.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
It happened as mourners gathered for a funeral at a house on Wednesday, according to a local resident quoted by Reuters news agency, who said there were two explosions and casualties included mourners and children playing nearby.
According to Reuters, local government sources said it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby called a meeting of the Defense and Security Council on Wednesday night, ordering the military to “retaliate from tonight against any attack from Sudan,” according to a statement from the presidency.
Earlier Thursday, the government said Chad had strengthened its security presence along the border and could potentially take action on Sudanese territory.
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) denied involvement in a post on Telegram blaming the Sudanese military.
porous boundary
The conflict in Sudan between its forces and the RSF began in April 2023. According to the United Nations, the war killed thousands and displaced more than 12 million people – about one million of them fleeing the fires into Chad.
The border between Chad and Sudan, which is approximately 1,400 km (870 mi) long and located in a desert region, is porous and difficult to control.
The RSF has captured almost all of Darfur, a vast region of western Sudan bordering Chad. The last major town there under military control, al-Fashar, was seized by the RSF in October. The United Nations has accused the paramilitary group of carrying out a massacre with “characteristics of genocide”.
On 21 February, the RSF claimed control of the border town of Tina, which is separated from Tina in Chad only by a narrow stream that is dry most of the time.
Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan last month after five Chadian soldiers were killed in clashes related to the war. Its government said the move was aimed at preventing “any risk of the conflict spreading”.
Drones are a major weapon of war
Drones have become a major weapon used by both the Sudanese military and the RSF.
The Sudanese military has received Iranian-made drones and Turkish and Russian military support.
The RSF, which has no air force of its own, is reportedly equipped through a network of supply routes running through Chad and other transit states, with reports pointing to the UAE as a major backer, an allegation that Abu Dhabi denies.
In the first two months of 2026, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project recorded 198 attacks by both sides, resulting in at least 52 civilian casualties. 478 people were killed in the attacks.
