Cameroonian troops have rescued eight abducted students of a government school in the country’s war-torn English-speaking region of Northwest, an official said Tuesday evening.

The students were kidnapped by “armed terrorists” by 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday from their school in Esu village in the Menchum division of the region, said Abdoullahi Aliou, prefect of Menchum division, in a statement.

The vice-principal and discipline master of the school were abducted alongside the students. The attackers also torched two classrooms and an administrative office of the school.

Aliou condemned the “continuous barbaric act perpetrated by armed terrorists on innocent unarmed citizens” and assured the population that “investigations and operations are ongoing to track these criminals for punishment in accordance with the regulations in force”.

All students injured during the attack are receiving medical treatment, he said.

Separatist fighters are known to be active in the locality. Since 2017, separatist fighters have been clashing with government forces in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest where they want to create an independent nation.

Source: Xinhuanet