At least six people, including a soldier and five separatists, have lost their lives following a Cameroonian military raid on a locality in the war-torn North West region, local and security sources said Thursday.

The raid occurred on Wednesday night in Bamfem, situated in the Bui division. Government forces launched a coordinated assault on a separatist hideout, leading to clashes with separatist fighters, said a military official in the region.

“During the clashes, our forces killed five terrorist separatists, but unfortunately, we also lost one soldier. Several of the separatists managed to flee with gunshot wounds,” said the official, who requested anonymity when speaking to the press.

Separatist leaders, however, claimed on social media that all the individuals killed were civilians, asserting that none of their fighters were harmed during the clashes.

Cameroonian forces are escalating operations in the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest as the Central African country prepares for presidential elections next year. Since 2017, separatists in these regions have been in conflict with government forces, aiming to establish an independent nation.

Source: Xinhuanet