Many wounded in suspected Boko Haram attack in Chad

It was the first time Baga Sola was hit by such an attack, and the belief that it was relatively safe had led tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees and Chadians displaced by Boko Haram violence to seek shelter there.

Dimoya Souapebe, the sub-prefect in the town, and a hospital source both confirmed the casualty figures.

Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria are all involved in the fight against Boko Haram, having made a decision to deploy a force of a few 8,700 soldiers.

Boko Haram, which has pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State, has stepped up attacks in Nigeria and northern Cameroon in recent weeks, since Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May. “The market is on fire right now”, said one security source present in the town.

But in the last few months, suicide attacks in particular have intensified.

Chad spearheaded a regional offensive earlier this year that drove the Islamist fighters from many of their bases. Boko Haram, which controls parts of northeastern Nigeria, started its militancy against the Nigerian government in 2009.

It was the second video purportedly released by the group this week.

The head of the gendarmerie in the capital N’djamena said two groups of suicide bombers attacked the market and refugee camp.

According to Amnesty worldwide, at least 17,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since 2009, when the group launched its violent uprising to try to impose militant Islamist rule.