At least 12 Cameroonian soldiers were killed on Monday night in an attack by Islamic militants near the border with Nigeria, as reported by the Cameroonian Ministry of Defense. The assault, which also left over a dozen soldiers wounded, took place in the Lake Chad area close to the town of Wulgo.

Initially, no group was held responsible for the attack; however, officials later indicated that it was likely carried out by extremists from Boko Haram or its breakaway faction that is aligned with the Islamic State group. The ministry highlighted the “advanced weaponry they increasingly have at their disposal” and their “apparent alliance with powerful transnational criminal entities” as contributing factors to the attack.

Boko Haram, which originated in Nigeria, began its insurgency in 2009 with the aim of opposing Western education and imposing a radical interpretation of Islamic law. This conflict has become Africa’s longest-running struggle against militancy and has spilled over into neighboring countries such as Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. According to U.N. estimates, approximately 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in northeastern Nigeria alone due to this violence.

The 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno state—considered the epicenter of the conflict—brought global attention to the group’s activities. In January of this year, at least 40 people were killed in a separate attack by Boko Haram across the border in Nigeria.

The ongoing violence underscores the persistent threat posed by militant groups in the region and highlights the challenges faced by security forces in combating these extremist factions.

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