Chad has commenced a three-day national mourning period following deadly attacks by suspected Boko Haram fighters on military personnel in the Lake Chad region.

The mourning period began on Thursday after Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno signed a decree late Wednesday in honour of soldiers killed during recent assaults linked to insurgents operating around Lake Chad.

According to authorities, at least 23 soldiers were killed while 26 others sustained injuries after militants attacked the Barka Tolorom Island military base on Monday.

Under the presidential directive, national flags are to fly at half-mast throughout the mourning period, while public celebrations and festive gatherings have been suspended across the country.

“Only religious music and prayers are permitted in the media and places of worship,” the decree stated.

The declaration came amid reports of another deadly attack on Chadian troops in the Lake Chad area on Wednesday, although officials had yet to release casualty figures at the time of reporting.

The Lake Chad basin, which borders Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon, has remained a hotspot for insurgent activities by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Security challenges in the region have continued to affect communities and military operations despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts by countries within the Lake Chad basin.