Chad president killed battling rebels on frontlines

N´DJAMENA, Chad: Chad´s President Idriss Deby Itno died in combat after three decades in power, the army said Tuesday, opening a period of uncertainty in a country that is a key strategic ally of the West in a troubled region.

His son was immediately named transitional leader as head of a military council and both the government and parliament were dissolved, but the army vowed "free and democratic" elections after an 18-month transitional period.

The army said Deby had died from injuries sustained as he led his troops against rebels who launched an offensive against his regime from Libya last week. Chad had claimed victory against the fighters, but soon after the announcement of Deby´s death, they vowed to pursue their offensive and march on the capital N´Djamena. The shock news came just a day after the 68-year-old career military man was proclaimed the winner of a presidential election that gave him a sixth term in office. The army also announced a curfew and border closures, while a state funeral was planned for Friday. Deby, often called "marshal" due to his military rank, had ruled Chad with an iron fist since taking power on the back of a coup in 1990. Former colonial power France hailed Deby as an "essential ally in the fight against terrorism" and called for a peaceful transition over a limited timeframe.

The army said a military council led by the late president´s 37-year-old son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, a four-star general, would replace him.

But FACT spokesman Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol told AFP that the rebels would continue the offensive after a short delay for Deby´s funeral. "We categorically reject the transition," he said.