The Chadian government assured that the situation in the capital N’Djamena was stable after gunshots were heard near the presidential palace.
Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a video apparently recorded inside the palace complex that there had been a “small incident” but that “everything is calm.”
Sources close to the African state’s government said clashes took place between security forces and “terrorist elements”.
French news agency AFP quoted Koulamallah as saying that 18 attackers and a member of the security forces had been killed.
Chad is a landlocked country in northern central Africa which, since its independence from France in 1960, has experienced frequent periods of instability and fighting, most recently between government forces and those of the Islamist group Boko Haram.
It is led by President Mahamat Déby, who was installed by the army in 2021 after his father, Idriss Déby, was killed in a battle against rebel forces after 30 years in power.
Following Wednesday’s incident, tanks were seen in the area and all roads leading to the palace were closed, AFP said.
In the video posted on Facebook, Koulamallah is seen surrounded by members of government forces.
“Nothing bad happened,” he said.
“We are here and we will defend our country at the cost of our blood. Be calm.
“This whole attempt at destabilization has been thwarted.”
He is then seen taking photos and raising his fist with the soldiers.
Koulamallah was quoted by AFP as saying the assault was launched by a commando of 24 men, adding that six of the attackers were injured.
Three other government forces were also injured, he added.
The incident occurred just hours after a visit to the former French territory by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who met with Déby and other senior officials.
Late last month, Chad held a series of parliamentary elections that the government billed as the first step in a transition from military to civilian rule.
Opposition groups, however, urged their supporters to boycott the vote due to fears of electoral fraud.
Chad previously hosted a French military base, which France used to provide logistical and intelligence support to the Chadian army as well as to participate in regional counterterrorism operations.
In November, he terminated its defense cooperation agreement with France, a step which, according to Koulamallah, would allow Chad “to assert its full sovereignty”.
Chad is also part of a region stretching across Africa known as the “Coup Belt” following a succession of military coups since 2020, including in Mali , in Niger and Sudan.
