In what has been considered as one of the most gruesome attack by separatist fighters on soldiers lately, about 15 of them are reported to have lost their lives after they were ambushed Thursday September 16, along the Bamessing - Sabga road in the North West region of Cameroon.
Barely a week after seven soldiers of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR perished after their vehicle exploded upon stepping on an improvised explosive device in Kumbo in the Bui Division, one of the most hard-hit areas by the Anglophone crisis, the military is again mourning.
On Thursday September 16, BIR soldiers who were on board two armoured vehicles fell in another ambush by suspected Ambazonia fighters along the Bamessing-Sabga stretch of road in the Ngoketunjia Division, North West region.
Separatists claimed responsibility for the attack considered as one of the most gruesome on the military since the crisis began. In videos posted on social media that Agence Cameroun Presse cannot independently confirm, the fighters can be seen posing in front of the burnt-out military armoured vehicles, rejoicing over the successful attack, others wearing uniforms and weapons taken from soldiers. In other videos, the bodies of mutilated or burned soldiers are displaced.
“This is the most gruesome attack of the military I’ve seen since this crisis began. God help Bamenda. Things are about to get much worse. Ordinary civilians will suffer most. This is so heart breaking. » An internet user wrote on her Twitter account.
Reports have it that two pro-independence militias groups are behind the attack, the Jaguars of Bamessing, commanded by General Sagard, and the Marines of Bambalang, one of the most dreadful rebel groups in the North West region, led by General No Pity. The latter even appears in photos of the attack, jubilating among his men or posing in front of one of the burning armoured vehicle.
Reacting to the ‘gruesome’ attack Thursday evening, Serge Espoir Matomba, 1st Secretary General of the PURS party on his Facebook page described it as a shameful attack on Cameroon’s democracy.
According to the 2018 unfortunate Presidential candidate, the State has the obligation to henceforth use force to save lives of the population as well as that of soldiers deployed in the restive regions to combat separatists fighters and restore peace.
Ariane Foguem
