by Panshak Ibrahim

On Wednesday, February 4, Boko Haram insurgents went on rampage in the Cameroonian border town of Fotokol where they killed civilians and torched a mosque before they were forced back by regional forces.

The attack comes a day after Chadian troops reportedly flushed the jihadists out of Gamboru, which is 500 metres away from Fotokol.

Chad army said it had killed more than 200 Boko Haram militants in the onslaught, however, some of the insurgents were believed to have escaped and slipped back across the border into Fotokol early in the morning, to launch another attack.

Umar Babakalli, a resident of Fotokol told AFP that: “Boko Haram inflicted so much damage here this morning. They have killed dozens of people.”

Several residents said civilians’ throats were slit and that the town’s main mosque was torched.

After several hours of firefight, Cameroonian troops, supported by Chadian forces, managed to successfully repel the insurgents.

According to a source close to the Cameroonian security service, “People are coming back little by little to assess the damage. The survivors among the attackers have left the town.”

Three Cameroonian soldiers and 14 Chadian soldiers were said to have been killed in the battle, while several Boko Haram, militants were reportedly killed.