Boko Haram militants suspected of hijacking minibus

Boko Haram militants attacked a border village in northern Cameroon and are suspected of kidnapping at least 18 people travelling on a bus, two military sources have told reporters.

Nigeria’s military is struggling to contain the Sunni insurgents allegedly responsible for killing 10,000 people last year and kidnapping hundreds of others. The group also mounts frequent cross-border raids as it seeks to establish an emirate in the region.

Neighbouring countries Chad, Cameroon and Niger have responded by sending thousands of troops to the remote border zones near Lake Chad, where intense gun battles erupted last week.

The two military sources said Boko Haram attacked the village of Kerawa in the far north of the country on Sunday and 11 insurgents were killed in clashes with Cameroon’s army. They said at least eight Cameroonian soldiers were wounded in the fighting.

The vehicle went missing near the village of Adanga Danga, the sources said.

“There are no claims yet but we think it was Boko Haram,” said one of the sources.

A ministry for defence spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the incidents.

However, a local administrator reported that at least 19 people had been kidnapped in northern Cameroon by suspected Boko Haram militants who seized their minibus. Raymond Roksbo, a senior divisional officer for the Mayo Tsanaga area, said the vehicle was transporting people and food to the Koza market on the Mora-Koza road before it went missing.

Reuters and Bloomberg