At least 20 Cameroonian soldiers were killed early Tuesday in a surprise attack by Boko Haram insurgents disguised as herders and traders near the Nigerian border town of Wulgo, according to local security sources and residents.
The militants reportedly infiltrated Wulgo — located near the volatile Lake Chad region — and launched a coordinated assault on Cameroonian military positions around 1 a.m., leading to heavy clashes that lasted two hours.
“The insurgents overpowered the troops, burned down the military bases, and seized heavy weapons, including Soviet-made Shilka anti-aircraft guns,” one intelligence source said.
The bodies of the fallen soldiers were transported across the border into Cameroon on Tuesday morning, witnesses confirmed.
Sources revealed that the militants had mingled with herders at a local market in Gamboru, a nearby town, the day before the attack. Under the cover of darkness, they advanced into Wulgo to execute the deadly raid.
Local residents reported hearing intense gunfire and explosions during the attack. Muhammad Sani Umar, who visited the area, described seeing military trucks carrying the bodies of the slain soldiers back to Cameroon. He also noted that the military bases were completely destroyed, with buildings and vehicles set ablaze.
Boko Haram, which has shifted operations to the Lake Chad area since losing its Sambisa Forest stronghold to a rival faction in 2021, has repeatedly targeted Wulgo and surrounding areas. The group has a history of attacking military outposts and civilians, often accusing locals of collaborating with security forces.
Since the insurgency began in 2009, the conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced around two million people, spreading beyond Nigeria into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The crisis has led to the formation of a regional military coalition aimed at combating the militants.