Cameroonian troops ambushed and killed at least nine separatist fighters in the country’s war-torn English-speaking region of Southwest on Monday, according to security and local sources.

Troops raided a separatist hideout in the Matoh locality of the region, killing the fighters, a military official said.

Among those killed was a “notorious” separatist commander who called himself “General Dan,” the official who asked not to be named said by phone on Monday night.

“He (the separatist commander) was a terrorist who caused so much harm to civilians and security forces. Our forces also seized their weapons and munition,” the official said.

It was not clear if government forces incurred casualties during the operation.

Separatists want to create an independent nation in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest, where they have been clashing with government forces since 2017.

Source: Xinhuanet