At least 19 people were killed in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, after security forces thwarted an attempt by armed fighters to storm the presidential complex on Wednesday evening. Among the dead were 18 attackers and one member of the security forces, according to government officials.

Chad’s Foreign Minister and government spokesman, Abderaman Koulamallah, reported that six attackers were also injured, while three members of the security forces sustained injuries, one of them seriously. Koulamallah, appearing in a video surrounded by soldiers, assured the public that “the situation is completely under control … the destabilisation attempt was put down.”

The attackers reportedly targeted military camps surrounding the president’s office in three vehicles but were neutralized by the army. Residents near the complex described hearing loud bursts of gunfire during the incident.

The assault occurred on the same day that China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby and senior officials in the capital. Deby was reportedly inside the presidential complex at the time of the attack.

President Deby took power in 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby, who ruled Chad for decades, was killed by rebels.

While an initial security source suggested the attackers were affiliated with Boko Haram, Koulamallah dismissed the claim, calling them drunken “Pieds Nickeles,” a French comic term for hapless crooks. Another security source referred to the incident as a possible “attempted terrorist attack.”

The attack follows Chad’s general election held less than two weeks ago, which was touted by the government as a step toward ending military rule. However, the election faced low voter turnout, allegations of fraud, and a boycott by opposition groups, leaving it dominated by candidates loyal to the president.

Chad, an oil-rich but impoverished country, recently terminated defense and security agreements with France, labeling them “obsolete.” Approximately 1,000 French troops stationed in Chad are being withdrawn, mirroring the trend in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military-led governments have distanced themselves from Paris.

As Chad navigates political transition and regional instability, the failed attack underscores the challenges facing President Deby’s administration.