Gunmen have attacked the presidential office in the capital of the Central African country of Chad, killing at least 19 people, most of them the attackers. The attack took place on Wednesday in the capital, N'Djamena, government officials said.

AFP journalists said additional security measures and roadblocks were lifted from the area around the presidential palace late Wednesday night, with traffic now back to normal.

Clashes broke out between security forces and heavily armed men near the presidential palace shortly before 8pm local time on Wednesday in the heart of N'Djamena, the capital of the military-ruled Central African country.

Chadian government spokesman Foreign Minister Abderraman Koulamallah said a commando unit of at least 24 men armed with "weapons and knives" attacked guards at the presidential palace. They were quickly neutralized by security forces.

He said the attackers were dressed in civilian clothes and came from a poor neighborhood in the south of the city. Koulamallah described the attackers as helpless scoundrels.

The government spokesman said one of the attackers was killed and six others were wounded. He added that a security guard at the presidential palace was killed and three others were wounded in the clashes.

In a video posted on Facebook hours after the clashes, Koulamallah can be seen speaking to soldiers while armed. Surrounded by soldiers and with a gun strapped to his belt, Koulamallah said, "The situation is completely under control... The attempt to create instability has been suppressed."

He told AFP that Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby was inside the presidential palace at the time of the attack. The foreign minister did not provide any further details on the matter.

Members of the country's opposition party have cast doubt on the government's account of the attack on the presidential palace. Max Kemkoye, spokesman for the country's political actors' consultation group (GCAP), called the attack on the presidential palace an "unfortunate summary" and a "drama" orchestrated by those in power on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Abderraman Koulamallah said he would make a statement about the attack to foreign diplomats in the country later today. The country's public prosecutors are also expected to make a statement on the matter.