Chad soldier fires on French troops, one hurt: sources

French soldiers sit inside a tank as they secure the airport of N'Djamena in 2008. By Pascal Guyot (AFP/File)

N'DJAMENA (AFP) - A Chadian soldier shot at two French soldiers as they left a military base near the capital N'Djamena on Wednesday, injuring one of the troops in the elbow, officials said.

"The two French soldiers left their base in a vehicle," a French embassy official in Chad told AFP. "As they were about to take a main road, someone riding a motorcycle fired four times in the direction of the French soldiers, hitting one in the elbow."

A local police officer said the shooter was a Chadian soldier. The wounded soldier was taken to a French medical office and was due to be evacuated.

The French have maintained a presence of about 950 men as well as fighter jets in Chad since 1986.

France's presence in its former colony is resented by part of the population, and Chad President Idriss Deby Itno has protested the base, also arguing that Paris is not paying for its presence.