Hundreds of Southern Cameroonians are feared missing after elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion raided Tiko, Mutengene and Limbe late on Thursday in a move to protect visiting football teams participating in the African Nations Championship.

The BIR soldiers arrived Fako County on military trucks and started shooting into the air, causing people to flee and arresting dozens, witnesses said.

The Francophone dominated army targeted popular neighborhoods including residential areas in Tiko, Likomba, Mutengene and Limbe and in the outskirts of Buea – where more than a thousand Buea University students are said to reside.

Territorial Administration minister, Paul Atanga Nji said on Tuesday that the Biya Francophone government will take tough measures against Southern Cameroons Self Defense Forces who killed security forces.

The Minister of Defense Joseph Beti Assomo also said there was credible intelligence that Ambazonia Restoration Forces were planning to sabotage critical telecoms infrastructure to sabotage and disrupt the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2020 football tournament in Limbe.

Meanwhile, the Vice President of the exiled Southern Cameroons Interim Government, Dabney Yerima condemned the so-called French Cameroun “callez callez” and has reportedly ordered the Ambazonia Intelligence Service to carry out a full audit of the Biya regime recent action in the Fako County.

Residents living in the Likomba area told Cameroon Concord News that they heard gunfire late on Thursday, and that the Cameroon government military operation lasted for more than five hours.

By Rita Akana in Buea