– BAMENDA, Cameroon
Cameroonian security forces killed four Ambazonia separatist fighters and wounded two others during a targeted raid early Saturday morning in Sop, Bui Division, in the Northwest Region.
According to local sources, troops tracked the armed group to a hideout and launched a surprise operation, which quickly escalated into a firefight. Four fighters were killed instantly, while the two wounded remain missing. It is unknown whether the wounded were captured or managed to escape during the clash.
Sop and its surrounding area, in the Bui Division, have been the scene of frequent clashes between government forces and separatist fighters in recent years. The violence is part of the broader Anglophone crisis that began in 2016, when discontent over the perceived marginalization of Cameroon's Anglophone regions led to protests, followed by a declaration of independence by separatists and the ensuing armed conflict.
The ongoing unrest has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
