Gunmen have killed at least eight fishermen in a raid on an island in Lake Chad in Cameroon’s Far North Region, according to local and security sources.

Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were responsible for the “reprehensible act” which took place early Wednesday, residents and military sources said.

Local media reported that the militants had come to the locality to levy taxes on fishing activity but met with resistance from the fishermen.

While expressing shock and sadness over the killings, a military official in the region who asked for anonymity told Xinhua that the army would deploy more personnel to secure the lake.

The ISWAP has collaborated with the Boko Haram group with the aim of establishing an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria. The two groups have also extended the reach of their attacks to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin.

Source: Xinhuanet