State media in Chad say an attack on the presidential palace left 18 assailants dead and six in custody, with one soldier killed and three wounded.

Two dozen armed men tried to storm into Chad's presidential palace but 18 of the attackers and two soldiers were killed in the failed attack, the national prosecutor said Thursday.Heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential complex just before 8:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) on Wednesday in the centre of N'Djamena,

Multiple gunshots were heard near the presidential palace in Chad's capital Wednesday evening, residents said, while the African country's foreign minister said soldiers were defending the president and the situation was under control.

Gunfire erupted Wednesday evening inside the presidency in Chad's capital N'Djamena, with tanks and a heavy security presence on the streets, according to AFP reporters on the scene and security

Wednesday, authorities said. President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was inside the palace at the time of the attack.