At least four gendarmerie officers were killed and two others seriously wounded in an attack by Southern Cameroons Self Defense Group in Matouke, a village located in Mbanga in the Littoral bordering the South West Region, Cameroon’s Defense Ministry said Monday.

The deadly attack took place on the sidelines of activities celebrating International Labour Day on Monday, May 1, 2023, in Matouke.

According to a military source contacted by Cameroon Intelligence Report, elements of the security and defense forces in a joint detachment were ambushed by suspected Amba fighters in the district of Mbanga on the Penda-Mboko road where there is a joint security post.

Three of the four officers killed were identified as Gendarme Major Marré, Sergeant Djoni and Sergeant Assomo. At the time of filing this report news filtered that Ndum Acha Arrison, a motorcycle rider had died of wounds sustained in the attack.

The Ambazonian fighters reportedly made away with four weapons.

The wounded, which are being treated at the military hospital in Douala-Bonanjo, were visited by the Governor of the Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua.

More than 10,000 people including some 4000 Cameroon government army soldiers have been killed and nearly 2 million displaced since the start of the Southern Cameroons crisis seven years ago.

Violence committed by both Cameroon government army soldiers and Amba fighters has affected academic institutions all over Southern Cameroons.

The war is also affecting the Littoral and the West, which are neighboring regions to British Southern Cameroons.

By Nelly Epupa with files from Fon Lawrence