Boko Haram Kills 6 Cameroon Soldiers

On Saturday, at least six Cameroon soldiers were killed in an attack by Boko Haram in the far north of the country, the governor of the region said on state television.

The governor of the Far North Region, Bakari Midjiyawa, told CRTV television that heavily armed Boko Haram terrorists "arrived at around four o'clock in the morning on six cars."

"We deplore the deaths of our six soldiers, who died in action, and four more were injured."

The attack took place in Sagme, just a few kilometres from the Nigerian border, where Boko Haram is based.

Eight troops were slain, according to a police report that was confirmed by multiple local authorities.

In recent years, Boko Haram and its breakaway group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have expanded their murderous attacks against security forces and civilians in Cameroon's far north, as well as along the country's borders with Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.

They have also frequently kidnapped civilians, particularly women and children.

Fighting with Boko Haram and ISWAP jihadists has killed more than 36,000 people since 2009 and driven almost two million people from their homes in northeastern Nigeria.

In mid-June, Boko Haram confirmed that its leader, Abubakar Shekau was killed after clashes with ISWAP.

Nigeria's air force said on Friday that it has received six US attack aircraft as part of the country's drive to crack down on jihadist insurgents.

"The batch of A-29 Super Tucanos aircraft have arrived in Kano today," air force spokesman Edward Gabkwet said.

The Nigerian government signed the deal to buy a total of 12 of the Brazilian-developed planes manufactured in the US in August 2017 under the Trump administration.

The propeller-driven planes, which have reconnaissance, surveillance and attack capabilities, were built in Florida by Brazil’s Embraer and the private US firm, the Sierra Nevada Corporation.

That pact also includes the supply of ammunition, training and aircraft maintenance believed to be worth more than $500 million.

The contract had been set to go through in May 2016 but the then-president, Barack Obama, froze the deal after the Nigerian army accidentally bombed a camp for displaced people, killing 112 civilians.