About 15 soldiers and several civilians have died in two attacks in English-speaking western areas of Cameroon in the grip of a breakaway campaign, the defence ministry said Monday.

Heavily armed "terrorists" ambushed a convoy of elite rapid intervention forces at Bamessing in the Northwest Region on September 16, the ministry statement said.

"Using IED (improvised explosive devices) and an anti-tank rocket launcher, the insurgents immobilised the vehicles (in the convoy) before opening heavy fire on the latter," it added.

Another IED hit a military convoy at Kumbo, in the same region, on September 12.

The ministry estimated the total death toll at "about 15 soldiers and several civilians".

Western Cameroon is in the grip of a four year conflict triggered by militants demanding independence for two predominantly English-speaking regions in the francophone-majority state.

More than 3,500 people have been killed and over 700,000 have fled their homes.

Rights groups say abuses have been committed by both separatists and the armed forces.

The defence ministry noted "the existence of links and exchanges of sophisticated weaponry" between "secessionist terrorists" and "other terrorist entities operating beyond the borders", including fundamentalist groups.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Nigerian troops rescue officer seized from military academy
Kano, Nigeria (AFP) Sept 18, 2021
Nigerian troops have rescued an army officer kidnapped last month from an elite military academy in the restive northwest, the army said late Friday. An armed gang stormed the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), the country's heavily guarded military academy in the city of Kaduna on August 24, killing two officers and abducting another, in a daring attack that shocked the authorities. Northwest and central Nigeria have been plagued by criminal gangs known locally as bandits who raid villages, kidnapp ... read more