Dozens of people were killed in a raid by horsemen from Sudan in eastern Chad, reports quote the Chadian government as saying on Tuesday.

The raid occurred Monday morning. The reports quoted government statement as saying it took place between 8:00 and 9:00 am (0700 and 0800 GMT), as gun-toting horsemen from Sudan tried to steal cattle from a village in eastern Chad.

The government said in its statement that government forces repelled the attackers, and retrieved the stolen cattle. One report puts the death toll at 36, while another puts it at near 50.

Western Sudan's Darfur region, which borders eastern Chad, has witnessed a two and half years conflict that killed thousands and displaced over a million. Chad itself hosted refugees from Darfur.

Source: Xinhua