SUSPECTED ISLAMIST MILITANTS KILL AT LEAST 15 VILLAGERS IN NORTHERN CAMEROON
At least 15 people have been killed after suspected Islamist militants attacked Madegoua village near Makary in Cameroon's Far North region. No group has claimed responsibility, although a security analyst cited by Reuters said ISWAP was likely responsible.
At least 15 people have been killed after suspected Islamist militants attacked a village in Cameroon's Far North region before dawn, according to local officials and a vigilante cited by Reuters.
Armed attackers entered Madegoua village near the town of Makary at around 2am on Thursday, September 17, before pulling men from their homes, tying them up and killing them, according to a member of a local vigilante group who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The initial death toll was 13, but two people who were wounded in the attack later died at a hospital in Makary, raising the number of people killed to at least 15.
NO GROUP HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY
No armed group had claimed responsibility for the attack as of the latest reporting.
A security analyst told Reuters that Islamic State West Africa Province, commonly known as ISWAP, was likely responsible because its fighters are active in the area. Authorities have not publicly established responsibility for the killings.
Some residents told Reuters they believed the attack could have been connected to an earlier order from militants demanding that villagers leave the area.
Madegoua is situated along a strategic route towards Makary, adding to concerns about militant efforts to control movement and communities in the region.
VICTIMS BURIED AFTER ATTACK
People initially confirmed dead were buried on Thursday, according to video footage reviewed by Reuters.
The news agency said it could not immediately independently verify the footage.
Security forces were subsequently deployed in the area as authorities responded to the attack.
YEARS OF VIOLENCE IN CAMEROONS FAR NORTH
Cameroon's Far North region borders Nigeria and Chad and has endured years of violence linked to the wider insurgency around the Lake Chad basin.
Boko Haram and ISWAP have operated across parts of northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring areas of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, carrying out attacks against civilians and security forces.
Cameroon is part of the Multinational Joint Task Force established by countries in the region to combat armed groups operating around Lake Chad.
The latest killings highlight the continuing threat facing communities in northern Cameroon despite years of regional military operations against militant groups.
The absence of an immediate claim of responsibility means the perpetrators have not yet been conclusively identified, although investigators and security analysts are examining the activities of armed groups operating in the area.
