Boko Haram: Death toll rises in Cameroon village, victims beheaded

Nineteen people were killed in Thursday night’s attack on a Cameroonian village by Nigeria-based Boko Haram militants, a security source said in an updated toll, adding that most of the victims were beheaded.

“The final toll from this attack is 19 dead, with a majority of the victims decapitated,” a security source said Saturday on condition of anonymity.

Security sources had previously said 10 civilians were killed in the cross-border raid on the village of Bia in Cameroon’s Far North region.

The attack comes after a regional military offensive — which includes Cameroon — has claimed a string of successes in their fightback against the Islamist militants in Nigeria in recent weeks.

Bia, which borders Lake Chad, has been identified previously by security forces as a recruiting ground for Boko Haram militants.

The source speaking to AFP on Saturday said security forces were slow to react to the raid on Bia, located in an area with several military bases.

“We noted a late response by our forces,”, the source said.

“Many huts were burned down,” the source added.