Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 15 people in a pre-dawn attack on the village of Madegoua in northern Cameroon, according to a local vigilante and an administrative authority. The attack occurred around 2 a.m. on Thursday, with insurgents executing tied-up men.
The attack underscores the ongoing instability and violence in Cameroon's Far North region, which is plagued by a long-running insurgency by groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, impacting regional security and humanitarian conditions.
Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 15 people in a pre-dawn raid on the village of Madegoua in northern Cameroon, according to a local vigilante and an administrative authority. The attack, which occurred around 2 a.m. on Thursday, saw insurgents enter the village, tie up men, and execute them. The initial death toll of 13 was later revised to 15 as two additional victims died from their injuries. A video seen by Reuters showed the initially confirmed dead being buried on Thursday, though the outlet could not immediately verify it independently.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility, but a security analyst suggested the attack was likely carried out by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants, who are active in the region. Some villagers suspect the assault may have been an enforcement of an earlier militant order for them to vacate the area, which is strategically located on a route towards Makary. Cameroon's Far North region, bordering Nigeria and Chad, has been affected by years of violence involving Boko Haram and other Islamist militants operating in the Lake Chad basin. Cameroon is part of a regional multinational military force combating these insurgents.