Cameroon army said on Sunday it had killed two armed separatist commanders in Southwest, one of the war-torn English-speaking regions of the country.

“The ‘general Obi’, whose group terrorized the populations of the localities of Mamfe, Okoyong, Bachuo Ntai, Bachuo Akaegbe, and Nchemba was neutralized early morning of January 6, 2019,” the army said in a statement.

The operation conducted by Cameroon elite force, Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), also neutralized “general Eyong”, one of the separatist commanders, according to the army.

“Their camp was destroyed and some weapons recovered or destroyed,” the army said. Locals interviewed by Xinhua said “several” other separatist fighters and government forces were killed during the attack.

The army raids came about a week after Cameroon President Paul Biya warned during end-of-year address to the nation that the armed separatists would be “neutralized” if they did not drop their weapons and “follow the right track.”

Clashes between government forces and armed separatist groups has been going on since November 2017 after the separatists declared the independence of a nation called “Ambazonia” in the two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest.

According to the United Nations, more than 430,000 Cameroonians have been displaced internally and at least 30,000 others have fled to neighboring Nigeria since the conflict started.

Xinhuanet