Cameroon’s security forces have rescued kidnapped students and one teacher after a raid on a camp of separatist fighters in the South-West region.
The group of nine, earlier reported as 20, was taken from the Lords Bilingual School on Tuesday afternoon in the city of Kumba.
Many of the students jumped over the school fence walls to avoid being taken.
Nto’ou Ndong Chamberlin, Senior Divisional Officer for Meme district, in the South-West region told reporters three students were released on Tuesday night after two gunmen were shot dead in a shootout with security forces.
Two other attackers, including the group’s leader called “Man of Locks” were killed in an operation on Wednesday morning, Nto’ou said adding that one gunman was captured during the exchange of gunfire.
Security forces seized nine guns in the operation as well as cartridges and three motorbikes, he said.
The incident comes almost a fortnight after nearly 80 students were safely returned after being taken from a school in the North-West regional capital of Bamenda.
Since last year, Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions have been hit by a separatist rebellion against alleged marginalisation by the country’s French-speaking majority.
Armed groups in the two English-speaking regions have called on local residents to boycott schools until a referendum on independence is held. They want to create an independent state called Ambazonia.
The government had accused separatists of being behind that kidnapping but the Anglophone separatists have denied any involvement.
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