Charles Nwoke, Sagme, Cameroon.
Military and local sources says Boko Haram Islamic extremists overrun an army base in Cameroon’s Far North region on Saturday, killing at least seven military officers and injuring several others.
85-year-old Biya has been ruling the country since 1982, as strife grips parts of Cameroon.
Two soldiers and a local resident told newsmen that they hit the base in Sagme locality of the region by 4.00 a.m. local time on Saturday.
The hoodlums, wielding sophisticated weapons, some of them in military uniform arrived in a convoy of six vehicles, one of the soldiers said.
The commander of the military base was killed alongside six of his colleagues after several hours of fighting.
A soldier who pleaded anonymity said, “The soldiers were very brave and defended strongly.
“It is thanks to that they were able to repel the attackers and saved more lives.’’
He added that casualties on the part of the militants is yet to be known.
Security reports said that Saturday’s attack was the deadliest on Cameroon army in more than 10 months.
Boko Haram has been attacking Cameroon’s Far North region since 2014, killing more than 2,000 persons, security reports said.