Chad’s President Idriss Deby has died, the country’s military has announced.

Mr Deby, who was reported Monday to have won a sixth term, died while on the frontline during a battle against rebels who were advancing on the country’s capital, Ndjamena, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday.

The army had earlier said it had beaten back a column of the fighters, killing some 300 of them.

The constitution of the country expects the speaker of the parliament to take over, but Al Jazeera reports that the armed forces has announced that a military council will supervise the transition.