At least 41 militants and one soldier were reportedly killed
as the Cameroonian military launched an air raid on
suspected Boko Haram fighters who attacked one of its
bases on the border near Amchide and seized a huge
portion of the town of Ashigashia.
The Voice of America quoted Cameroon military
spokesman, Col. Didier Badjeck, as saying that about
1,000 suspected Boko Haram fighters had seized parts of
the villages of Ngouma, Sagme, Ardebe, Mbaljuel,
Dambore, Soueram and Ashigashia and briefly occupied a
military camp on Sunday.
Badjeck also said the militants also kidnapped several girls
on Friday and forced them to marry the group’s fighters.
He said the military was informed by local residents that
Boko Haram members had abducted girls between the
ages of 12 and 15 and forced them to marry sect
members.
Consequently, President Paul Biya of Cameroon ordered
the air strike against the sect. This forced the Boko Haram
fighters from neighbouring Nigeria to flee the camp at
Assighasia, Al Jazeera quoted the Communications
Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, as saying in a statement.
Bakary said the multiple attacks showed that Boko Haram
had adopted a new strategy aimed at “distracting
Cameroonian troops on different fronts, making them more
vulnerable in the face of the mobility and unpredictability
of their attacks.”
Bakary said at least 34 militants were killed after the army
raided one of their bases in Cameroon, while another
seven were killed in a separate clash which also claimed
the life of a soldier.
Last week, Cameroon said it had dismantled a Boko
Haram training camp on its territory, and had rescued 84
children who were being trained there.
More than 40 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting
with Boko Haram this year, according to Reuters.
A Boko Haram squad attacked the Assighasia camp on
Sunday morning and the “Cameroonian defence forces had
to withdraw after trying to defend the position”, the
government statement said.
Punch.
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