7 people were reportedly killed when Boko Haram
insurgents clashed against military forces in
Northern Cameroon.
“Boko Haram killed a (Cameroonian) soldier. Our
soldiers killed six of their guys” and “captured”
two others near the Nigerian border, the source
told AFP on Monday, requesting anonymity.
A local Cameroonian NGO confirmed the assault
and said there were “victims” without specifying
the number. “On Sunday, Boko Haram Islamists
entered Cameroon… there was a clash between
them and the soldiers,” said Mey Aly, from rights
group Os-Civil Droits de l’Homme. “Around 30
heavily armed Boko Haram soldiers crept
discretely into Cameroon.
A villager saw them and raised the alarm,” she
added. Soldiers blocked their path and a firefight
broke out. Cameroon’s rapid reaction force sped
to the area.
“The region’s populations have been terrorised by
incursions from Islamists like Sunday’s. We call
on stronger efforts from the authorities to
reassure the population,” she added.
Earlier Monday, an official said that suspected
Islamist insurgents had killed 29 people in
Nigeria’s embattled northeast on Sunday, the
latest carnage in a surge of violence that has left
more than 100 dead this month alone.
The Nigerian military has launched a major
offensive aimed at crushing the Islamist uprising,
which has killed thousands since 2009.
On Wednesday, Nigeria’s Information Minister
Labaran Maku said that much of his country’s
problem with Boko Haram stemmed from its
border with Cameroon and called for “increased
partnership” from its northern neighbour.
Nigeria has alleged that the Islamists have set up
bases in sparsely populated areas of its
northeastern neighbours, including Cameroon,
Chad and Niger, and flee across the border after
staging attacks to avoid military pursuit.
“They strike. When we pursue them, they retreat
into Cameroon,” complained the minister.
No comments:
Post a Comment