Troops loyal to the Francophone regime in Yaounde have killed six Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards in the Northwest, a senior Cameroon government military official said on Saturday.

Among those killed was a renowned Amba commander identified as “General Cross And Die”, Brigadier General Valere Nka, commander of the Francophone dominated army’s  5th Joint Military Region with command post in Bamenda, chief town of the Northwest region told reporters in Bamenda.

He said, the commander and five other Ambazonia Restoration fighters were killed in separate Cameroon government military operations on Friday in the localities of Bali and Mankon.

“The military is intensifying operations in the region to bring peace,” Nka said and added that the separatist commander was responsible for several attacks on civilians and military positions in the region.

In 2017, the people of Southern Cameroons under their leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe proclaimed their “independence”  from the majority French-speaking La Republique du Cameroun.

Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards have been clashing with government forces since then.

By Fon Lawrence with files from Xinhuanet