 Chad's president Idris Debi has died. The army said he died while visiting troops on the front line of a fight against northern rebels on Tuesday. The news comes a day after Debi was declared the winner of a presidential election. Chad's president Idris Debi has died whilst visiting soldiers on the front line of a battle against rebels, an army spokesman said on Tuesday. General Azemba Mondoa Aguna announced the death in a broadcast on state television, surrounded by a group of military officers he referred to as the National Council of Transition. Chad's marshal, the president of the republic, head of state, supreme leader of the armies, Idris Debi Itno, just gave his last breath while defending the integrity of the territory on the battlefield. He said Debi's son, General Mahamat Kaka, had been declared interim head of state. The news comes just a day after Debi was declared winner of Chad's presidential election. That victory had heralded a sixth term for one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. But the day of the election saw an attack on a border post by rebels who are based in Libya across Chad's northern frontier. Debi then advanced south across the desert. On Monday, Debi's campaign team said he was travelling to join troops fighting against the, quote, terrorists. Debi came to power following a rebellion in 1990 and was a staunch ally of Western powers in the fight against militants in the Sahel region.