34 Cameroon soldiers missing at Sea
A Cameroon army vessel transporting "dozens" of troops from the elite Rapid Intervention Brigade capsized on Sunday off the country's southwestern coast, a security source told AFP
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The boat "capsized on Sunday between
the city of Limbe and Bakassi. There were 37 BIr elements on board, including a
colonel," a source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The
Rapid Intervention Brigade is in the front line of Cameroon's fight against
Boko Haram jihadists in the far north.
"The
army has begun searches," the source said, while another source close to
the Cameroon army said three bodies had been recovered.
As
well as the troops, the boat was also transporting equipment for construction
work at a military base on the Bakassi peninsula, where the Brigade has helped
to bring security after a previous spate of hostage-takings.
Though
Boko Haram originated in Nigeria, the Islamic State-affiliated group has
carried out frequent attacks in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Cameroon's
Far North region, which borders Nigeria, has seen a resurgence in attacks
blamed on Boko Haram after months of relative calm.
Last
week two bombers blew themselves up in northeastern Cameroon killing 15 people
in an attack blamed on Boko Haram.
Some
200,000 Cameroonians from the Far North region have fled their villages in fear
of the violence.
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