Biltine (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: بلتن) is a city in

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

, and the capital of

Wadi Fira Wadi Fira ( ar, وادي فيرا) is one of the 23 regions of Chad. Its capital is the town of Biltine. The region corresponds with the former prefecture of Biltine. Geography The region borders Borkou Region, Ennedi-Ouest Region and ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

(previously

Biltine prefecture Biltine Prefecture ( ar, ﺇﻗﻠﻴﻢ بلتن) was one of the 14 prefectures of Chad. Located in the east of the country, Biltine covered an area of 46,850 square kilometers and had a population of 184,807 in 1993. Its capital was Biltine. ...

). The town was briefly captured on November 25, 2006, by the RADF, a rebel group, then recaptured the next day by the government, along with nearby

Abéché Abéché ( ar, أبشه, ''Absha'') is the fourth largest city in Chad and is the capital of Ouaddaï Region. It has within it the remnants of the ancient capital, including palaces, mosques, and the tombs of former sultans. History The city of ...

that had been captured by a different rebel group, the

UFDD The Union of Forces for Democracy and Development is the largest group of Chadian rebel forces opposed to former President Idriss Déby. It was formed in October 2006 under the leadership of Mahamat Nouri. The group consists of: * United Front f ...

. On June 16, 2008, the town was the scene of a battle between rebels on government forces, with the rebels said to have won.Chad rebels claim advances as US pulls out embassy staff
/ref> The town is served by Biltine Airport.

Demographics

References

Wadi Fira Region Populated places in Chad {{Chad-geo-stub