The first organised use of the Toyota’s was at the Battle of Fada, in January 1987. A Libyan armoured brigade was destroyed, with about 800 Libyans dead, and a large number of Soviet tanks destroyed.
The military losses that Chadians faced were eighteen killed and four pickup trucks destroyed; this was a massive success for Chadians. The Chadians force’s used diversionary tactics to attack the Libyan’s, using French air support they managed to keep Libyan aircraft grounded.
Then when the Chadians did attack the use of a diversionary tactic, made it appear that they were attacking from one direction. But the Chadian forces approached from another direction at high speed.
This made it hard for the Libyans to target Toyota’s as they were fast and agile vehicle’s. Then the Chadians used missiles and machine guns attached to their Toyotas, destroying the Libyan forces, who were caught by surprise by the tactic.
Then in March 1987, the Chadian attacked a Libyan airbase at Ouadi Doum which was a heavily fortified with 5,000 soldiers and protected with Soviet munitions a minefield. The Chadians discovered that if they drove at high speed over the mines, they did not go off. The airbase fell with similar tactics that were used in the Battle of Fadua.
Estimates put the Chadian victories in the first three months of 1987, had led to more than 3,000 Libyan soldiers had been killed, captured, or deserted. Large numbers of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters were captured or destroyed. In some cases, Libya sent its own aircraft to bomb abandoned Libyan equipment to stop its use to the Chadians.
In August 1987, the Chadians carried on their offensive into the Aouzu strip and occupied the town of Aouzou. Libya in retaliation used aircraft to bomb towns in the north. the French did not provide support as the operation to take hold of the Aouzou strip was against the French wishes.
Libya managed to counterattack and take back the in of town of Aouzou. This was achieved by a switch in tactics by the Libyans to Toyota tactics with the use of 4×4 and close air support and abandoning the use of tracked armour.
In retaliation, the Chadians attacked a Libyan airbase in Libya know as the Battle of Maaten al-Sarra to try and stop Libyan close air support, as without French air support this would be a serious threat. The attack lead to the destruction of 32 Libyan aircraft and 1,000 Libyan’s were killed with 300 captured.
This attack led to France to withdraw further support as they felt this could lead to a significant disbalance in the region if Libya were attacked further, leading to Chadians to lose intelligence and logistical support, causing to suffer considerable advantage for the Chadians.
With Gaddafi wanting an end to the war with increasing domestic opposition and international pressure and Habre on the other side without further French assistance bought an end to the Toyota war with a ceasefire signed in 1987.
The two countries agreed in 1990 that the case for sovereignty should be referred to the International Court of Justice. In 1994 Gaddafi accepted the decision by the International Court of justice in favour of Chadian sovereignty over the Aouzou strip, and it the area was returned to Chad.
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