Red Crescent officials in Chad say hundreds of civilians have been shot and killed in the fighting between rebel and government forces as about 2,000 people have fled to neighbouring Cameroon.
But soldiers are now turning back those still trying to cross two bridges which have been the main escape route.
And in the last hour France's defence minister has arrived in the capital, where the army has been parading some of the rebels it captured. Al Jazeera's Hari Mutasa sent this report from Ndjamena.
