Boko Haram terrorists have killed eight fishermen and abducted dozens more during an attack in northeastern Lake Chad near the Cameroonian border with Nigeria, according to security sources.
The attack took place on August 2, 2023, when the militants, suspected to belong to the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS) faction of Boko Haram, also known as the Bakoura Buduma group, stormed the remote area near Kofia island in Cameroon.
Sources said they slaughtered after accused of being spies and of violating the ban imposed by the terrorists on fishing and farming activities in their territories.
“The JAS rebels have banned all fishing and farming activities in their areas after several successful airstrikes by the regional forces that killed many of their fighters, including top commanders,” Sources said.
After killing the eight fishermen, the militants kidnapped dozens more on about eight boats and demanded a ransom of five million naira (about $12,000) for each boat and its occupants.
The Lake Chad basin, which borders Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, has been a hotspot of violence since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its insurgency to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. The group has since expanded its attacks to neighboring countries, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions more.
The regional countries have formed a joint military force, known as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), to combat the terrorists, but have struggled to contain their activities. The militants have resorted to kidnapping, arms smuggling, cattle rustling and extortion to fund their operations and acquire weapons and explosives.
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