Boko Haram clashes with Cameroonian soldiers in Cameroon
Nigeria’s
Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has carried out two cross-border
attacks into Cameroon since Friday, killing at least four soldiers and
prompting the Cameroonian army to send reinforcements to the area, army
sources said on Saturday.
Under pressure from neighbouring Nigeria
to do more to counter Islamist insurgents, Cameroon has deployed over
1,000 soldiers along its remote jungle border, Reuters reports.
Nigeria believes Boko Haram wants to use
Cameroon as a rear base as it strives to carve out an Islamic state. The
group has killed thousands in its five-year insurgency and has recently
bombed targets that were previously considered comparatively safe, such
as Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos and capital Abuja.
Cameroonian regional military commander Colonel Felix Nji Formekong confirmed to Reuters
by telephone that four soldiers had been killed in clashes with Boko
Haram fighters at the village of Bargaram, without giving further
detail.
A soldier based in the area, who
requested anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said
another 13 of his comrades were missing after the attack, which took
place late at night.
He said that Boko Haram had attacked
again in the night from Friday to Saturday but that the Cameroonian
army
had succeeded in pushing them back.
“We are currently in a real battle front
and more of our soldiers have been sent in from Maroua to assist us,” he
added, referring to the regional headquarters.
The attack at Bargaram came barely two weeks after Boko Haram attacked the same locality, kidnapping a 20-year old civilian.
Meanwhile, some 22 suspected Boko Haram
militants who were held in Maroua since March, were on Friday sentenced
to prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.
According to the regional state radio
station CRTV in Maroua, they were found guilty of illegal possession of
firearms and plotting a regional insurrection.