Ten members of jihadist factions were eliminated during a major clash with the regional military coalition in the Far North of Cameroon last Wednesday, the Multinational Joint Force (MMF) revealed in an official announcement.
The MMF, which combines the armed forces of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, reported having thwarted an attack by “Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists” against their base in Darak, near Lake Chad, on Wednesday. 'dawn. “An intense firefight ensued, the troops promptly responded, eliminating six fighters,” said Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, MMF communications officer.
Furthermore, the FMM specified that later, an ambush made it possible to neutralize four other “terrorists on the run” near Mozogo, 200 km south of Darak. The operation, however, injured five coalition soldiers.
The conflict has its roots in 2009, when Boko Haram initiated its actions in northeastern Nigeria, subsequently joined by ISWAP, causing 40,000 deaths and two million displaced people. With a workforce of 8,500 men, the FMM strives to secure the Lake Chad region, a natural stronghold of jihadist groups.
In November, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno expressed frustration over a lack of reaction from allies to an attack on the Chadian army, threatening to leave the alliance. Lake Chad, at the crossroads of four countries, is a strategic point for these terrorist groups, which complicates regional stabilization efforts.
