On 14 April, Chadian president Idriss Déby Itno announced the full withdrawal of Chadian soldiers from Mali, citing face to face[clarification needed] with the Islamists is over and the Chadian army doesn't have the skills to fight a guerilla-style war, referring to the previous attack in Kidal that killed four of its soldiers. According to local sources the army had already withdrawn a mechanized battalion a few days prior to the formal announcement and pulled out its troops from Aguelhok and Tessalit.[11]