section_path: Events
section_name: Events
paragraph_text: Events
  
  The attack began at around 8:45 pm. At least 24 armed men attacked the presidential palace in the Chadian capital city N'Djamena. The attack happened hours after CCP foreign chief Wang Yi visited the capital. The attackers drove up to the security gate and pretended that their vehicle had a mechanical failure before starting the attack. Reports of gunfire continued until 9:30 pm. Chadian President Mahamat Déby was inside the palace at the time of the attack and the attackers were attempting to storm the palace. Civilians fled the area in cars and on motorcycles to escape the violence. In the confusion, some civilians reportedly believed a coup d'état was taking place.
  
  According to Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah they were armed with knives and machetes. He said "They stabbed four guards, killing one and seriously injuring two others. A fourth guard was also injured, but his life is not in danger." Afterwards they attempted to gain entry into the presidential palace, where they engaged in combat with security forces. According to Koulamallah, 18 attackers were killed and six were injured, while one member of the security forces was killed and five were critically injured. He further stated that the attackers were dressed in civilian clothing during the attack and that they were killed after penetrating the camp surrounding the presidency. Videos of the bodies of dead attackers as well as men captured during the attack were circulating on social media.
  
  Koulamallah added that the attackers were local youth from N'Djamena and were disorganized and intoxicated by alcohol and drugs. He referred to them as " Pieds Nickelés ", in reference to a French comic series about criminals. He said that "We found that they had a lot of alcohol, small bottles of water filled with alcohol. It looks like whiskey or something like that. Also some drugs, they were completely drugged, at least the survivors." He ruled out that it was a terrorist attack.
  
  In contrast, an anonymous source connected to the Chadian security services told the media that the attackers belonged to the Jihadist group Boko Haram. The sources say that the men were instead armed with firearms when they attacked the Presidential Palace.
  
  Enrica Picco from the think tank International Crisis Group said that the attack and the response by security forces shows that "Tensions are very high at the presidential palace." Additionally, she said, "Deby knows that he has a lot of enemies who want to replace him or change the way Chad is dealing with different crises."
  
  Ulf Laessing from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation however, disagreed it could be Boko Haram related. "The jihadists are mainly active in the Lake Chad region and do not carry out attacks as complex as the one on the presidential palace," he said. "The attackers knew where to go and they were expected at the same time. I rather suspect that it is an intrigue within the presidential family or the clans in the palace."