Cameroon Repels Boko Haram Attack, Kills 3 Militants

Local Editor

Cameroon's army repelled an attack by Boko Haram and killed three of the Nigerian Takfiri militants in heavy fighting in the Far North region of the country, a Cameroon government spokesman said on Thursday.

The attack represented a change of tactics by the militants following a series of battlefield defeats this year in which they had lost territory to a regional force that comprises Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, spokesman Issa Tchiroma said.

"Early Tuesday morning around 3:40am [0140 GMT] an enemy column in four-wheel drive vehicles opened fire on positions held by our defense forces," he said of the attack in Bodo town.

"There followed violent combat until dawn. Faced with the repost of our soldiers, the aggressors beat a retreat leaving behind three dead, a quantity of weapons and a lot of blood," he said, adding that no government soldiers were hurt.

Furthermore, the militants were trying to "make their voice heard and prove that they continue to exist," he said.

Boko Haram rarely comments directly on military action and there was no independent confirmation of the battle.

Though, two military sources close to the fighting who declined to be identified said 18 militants were killed in the fighting.

In a related notion, Boko Haram militants attacked the northern Nigerian town of Buni Yadi in Yobe state late on Thursday and it was unclear how the fighting had ended, military sources said.

However, the source confirmed Friday that there was no information on any casualties after the attack that started at around 9 p.m.

Witnesses reported seeing a detachment of troops with armored personnel carriers and a fighter jet heading towards Buni Yadi on Friday morning.

"Those boys [Boko Haram] came to Buni Yadi yesterday and attacked our people. They came in about nine Hilux [pick-up trucks] and opened fire... Our people have mobilized for reinforcement," one of the sources said.

The regional operation had reduced attacks in recent months but bombings in Nigeria suggest Boko Haram may be shifting its focus further south and west, towards the capital, Abuja.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team