Chad has ordered its military to prepare a response following a deadly drone strike near its border with Sudan, warning it will retaliate against any further attacks after at least 17 people were killed during a funeral gathering in the town of Tiné as cited by BBC News.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby convened an emergency security meeting and instructed armed forces to remain on high alert, while also announcing the “total closure” of Chad’s border with Sudan. The government described the strike as a “blatant aggression” against its territorial integrity.

The attack reportedly targeted mourners gathered for a funeral ceremony, with residents saying victims had assembled for Quranic prayers when the drone struck. Responsibility remains disputed, with suspicion falling on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which operate across Sudan’s western Darfur region. The group has denied involvement, while Sudan’s army has also rejected blame.

The incident comes amid the ongoing war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF and has since created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, according to the . More than 13 million people have been displaced, including nearly one million who have fled into Chad.

Chadian authorities said their defence posture has now been strengthened and warned they reserve the right to act “in strict compliance with international law” if further attacks originate from Sudanese territory. Previous cross-border tensions and accusations such as claims by Khartoum that N’Djamena supports RSF fighters, which Chad denies have already strained relations between the two countries, as noted in regional security reporting .

With a porous 1,400km border separating the two nations, officials fear the latest incident could deepen regional instability and draw Chad more directly into the conflict next door.