| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| 66 killed in Chad violence over 'holy war' |
| 2008-07-03 |
| Chad said on Wednesday its security forces had killed 66 followers of a Muslim spiritual leader who was threatening to launch a holy war against Christians and atheists from Africa to Europe. Ahmat Ismael Bichara, 28, was arrested after hundreds of his disciples armed with swords, spears, bows and clubs fought gendarmes armed with automatic rifles at a southeastern village on Sunday and Monday. Four members of the Chadian security forces were also killed and six wounded in the one-sided battles at Kouno, 300 km southeast of the Chadian capital N'Djamena. Bichara, his lip bloodied, wearing a white robe and reciting verses from the holy Quran was presented by the authorities to journalists in N'Djamena on Wednesday along with seven of his captured followers. Ministers in the landlocked ethnically mixed African country, where just over the half the population is Muslim, said the government had been obliged to act against the Islamic holy man to stop him triggering a religious war in the country. "Since June 3, he has been calling on all Muslims to prepare to engage in a holy war against Christians and atheists, saying that the war would be launched from Chad to as far as Denmark," Security Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir told journalists. "Ahmat Ismael Bichara's actions could have plunged the country into fire and blood," Information Minister Mahamat Hissene said, explaining the government's use of force. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Still, given the disparity of weaponry, kill ratio was not so good, 1/16 (compare it to the brits Vs the mahdi); I wonder what were the respective sizes of the forces? If they were really mismatched, and hence the number of killed among the security guys, then kill ratio is even worse. Seems like even outmatched by superior tech, antique weapons can kill just as well today than in days bygone. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-07-03 11:16 |
| #2 They made the key mistake of bringing swords, spears, bows and clubs to an automatic weapons fight. Probably thought Allah made them immune to bullets. InshAllah, boys... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-07-03 10:28 |
| #1 hundreds of his disciples armed with swords, spears, bows and clubs fought gendarmes armed with automatic rifles Kickin it old-timey style in Chad. Party on, Ahmat! |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-03 08:32 |