Suicide Attack Kills at Least 10 in Cameroon


13 January, 2016

Suicide bombers killed at least 10 people Wednesday at a mosque in northern Cameroon.

Officials said the bombings took place before sunrise in Kolofata, a town near the border with Nigeria. More than 10 other people were injured.

News reports say two women bombed the religious center. No individual or group has claimed responsibility. But the incident appeared similar to past attacks carried out by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

Kolofata, Cameroon, was the site of a bombing that officials say they believe was carried out by terror group Boko Haram.
Kolofata, Cameroon, was the site of a bombing that officials say they believe was carried out by terror group Boko Haram.

The group wants to set up an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. It has fought against Nigerian government forces for the past six years. Boko Haram fighters recently began crossing into neighboring countries to carry out attacks. Cameroon belongs to an international coalition set up to defeat the group.

The violent campaign has killed about 20,000 people, according to the United Nations and the rights group Amnesty International.

I'm Jim Dresbach.

Moki Edwin Kindzeka reported on this story for VOAnews. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Additional information came from CNN and Al-Jazeera. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

mosque – n. a building used for Muslim religious services; an Islamic center