Chad President, Idriss Deby, on Tuesday, has been shot dead, the country’s military announced.
Though, the details of his death are still sketchy but the army authorities said he died from injuries sustained on the war front.
The Chadian army is currently combating rebel forces who have launched an assault on the capital, N’Djamena.
Mr Deby, who was reported Monday to have won a sixth term, died while on the frontline during a battle against rebels who were advancing on the country’s capital, Ndjamena, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday.
He was reelected for a sixth term on April 11 and was expected to be sworn in.
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The army had earlier said it had beaten back a column of the fighters, killing some 300 of them.
The constitution of the country expects the speaker of the parliament to take over, but Al Jazeera reports that the armed forces has announced that a military council will supervise the transition.
Mr Deby came to power in 1990.