Boko Haram Islamists on Friday seized control of a town in the far north of Cameroon which lies on the border with Nigeria, security and regional sources said. "They now control Kerawa," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the Nigerian Islamist group.
The information was confirmed by another source close to the regional authorities, who said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the assault. "Boko Haram has controlled Kerawa since Friday morning," the source said adding the Cameroonian army had sent in reinforcements.
It was not immediately clear whether troops had engaged in any fighting with the Islamists. The security source "several people" killed inside the mosques in the town on Thursday, quoting an unconfirmed report that 11 people had died. Kerawa, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is located in the Kolofata district that is regularly targeted by Boko Haram.