On several occasions last year, Chadian troops won victories by chasing Libyan soldiers as they retreated into heavily fortified bases.

Belmokhtar was reported to have been killed in the area by Chadian troops on March 2, 2013.

Across 100 miles of desert, Chadian troops are entrenched in the dry, forbidding Tibesti Mountains.

It said Chadian troops captured 15 trucks, mortars, other arms and ammunition.

Chadian troops drove into Libyan territory today and destroyed an air and ground base in the southeast, Chad's military command reported.

A spokesman for Chad's military command said the Libyan base was "entirely in the hands" of Chadian troops.

There are no decent Chadian troops between where Deby is and Ndjamena.

But 2,000 Chadian troops responded and chased them 200 miles to capture the Matan as Sarra base.

Chadian troops drove the Libyans out of the arid north in a series of attacks between December 1986 and August 1987.

The official Libyan news agency said Chadian troops struck at the "civilian Sarra airport."