France cautions citizens against "very worrying" situation in Chad

France warned on Thursday that the deteriorating security situation in Chad was "very worrying", but it issued no order to evacuate the some 1,500 French civilians present in the country.

The French Foreign Ministry advised French citizens, mostly in N'Djamena, to exercise "caution".

The French Defense Ministry said a French Mirage jet had fired warning shots near a rebel column advancing on the capital N' Djamena from the east on Wednesday morning after sending 150 soldiers to join its 1,200-strong forces in Chad to respond to the urgent situation.

The shots were fired around 250 kilometers east of N'Djamena, and caused no casualties, said defense ministry spokesman Jean- Francois Bureau, describing the shots as a "political signal, with the framework of the security of our nationals" in Chad.

He also denied allegations of former Chadian Foreign Minister Laona Gong, who said French fighter planes bombed Thursday several rebel-held towns in eastern Chad.

Intense fighting occurred on the outskirts of N'Djamena early Thursday as rebels of the United Front for Change (FUC) advanced on the capital to seek to oust Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno.

Itno told Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Thursday morning that the rebel army was in control of the city and also denied the French troops' involvement in fighting the rebels.

Source: Xinhua