Chad said Thursday that 17 people were killed and several others wounded in a drone strike late Wednesday in the eastern border town of Tine, in an attack authorities said originated from Sudan.
Tine lies on Chad’s frontier with Sudan’s western Darfur region. A military spokesperson said all those killed were civilians.
Residents reported two explosions that hit mourners at a funeral and children playing nearby.
After convening defense and security officials overnight, President Mahamat Idriss Deby said he had ordered the army to respond.
“Despite repeated warnings to the belligerents in the Sudan conflict and the closure of the border, the town of Tine has again been targeted by a drone attack,” a government spokesperson said. “This extremely serious assault has killed 17 of our compatriots and injured several others.”
The government said it had reinforced security along the border and that its forces could carry out operations inside Sudan if necessary.
The attack is the latest sign of spillover from Sudan’s civil war, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group has been fighting the Sudanese army since 2023.
Local authorities said it was not immediately clear who carried out the strike. The RSF denied responsibility, blaming the Sudanese military in a statement on Telegram.
The RSF has claimed control of much of Darfur in recent months. On Feb. 21, it said it had taken Tina, a town in Sudan opposite Tine, separated by a narrow, often dry riverbed. Chad closed its border two days later, citing the risk of the conflict spreading.
The war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the United Nations. More than 1 million have fled to Chad.
Separately, U.N. officials said they were alarmed by reports of the strike, which they said underscored the growing risk to civilians in border areas and the potential for wider regional destabilization.
They urged the warring parties to de-escalate, respect international humanitarian law and return to negotiations.
Humanitarian agencies say needs remain acute. Aid groups recently delivered medical and nutrition supplies to North Darfur, expected to support tens of thousands of people. However, funding gaps persist, with the 2026 humanitarian response plan for Sudan only about 16% funded.