Dozens Killed in Lake Chad Suicide Bombings

Three suicide bombers attacked a market in Chad Saturday killing at least 27 people, Chadian officials said.

The attack took place on an island along Lake Chad's western coast, where a weekly market was in progress. The borders of Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger all touch the shores of Lake Chad.

The attackers were not identified, but authorities noted the militant group Boko Haram has carried out recent bomb attacks in the area.

Forty-seven people died in two suicide bombings in mid-October, drawing condemnation from the United Nations refugee agency, since many people in the Lake Chad region are refugees.

Chadian officials, who estimate 60,000 internally displaced people live near the Lake Chad islands, had warned all residents to be cautious and said the government was beginning a military offensive against Boko Haram.

The militants' recent bombings have been seen as reprisal attacks.

The violence is taking place near the border with Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger along the shores of Lake Chad.