Cameroun Dislodges Boko Haram From Town Hours After Seizure

Cameroun army yesterday chased Boko Haram terrorists out of the far north village of Kerawa a few hours after it was seized by the sect. “They pulled out after the troops arrived. There hasn’t been any more fighting,” a source said, while another said the fighters had “fled” to neighbouring Nigeria. A source close to the regional authorities said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the assault.
Kerawa, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is located in the Kolofata district, which has been regularly targeted by Boko Haram. There is a military camp inside the town, which was last hit by a double suicide bombing on September 3, which claimed at least 30 lives. Cameroon, Chad and Niger have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State. The sect’s grip on the region has suffered as a result of offensives launched by local armies. But the group maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad.