20 Boko Haram Captives Taken In Cameroon Freed

At least 20 of up to 80 people taken hostage by Boko Haram militants
in Cameroon at the weekend are reported to be free.

Cameroon's defence ministry said the hostages were freed "as defence
forces pursued the attackers who were heading back to Nigeria".

Suspected Boko Haram Islamist fighters from Nigeria kidnapped around
80 people, many of them children, and killed three others on Sunday in
a cross-border attack on villages in northern Cameroon, army and
government officials said.

The suspected militants arrived in the early hours of Sunday when it
was still dark and left in the direction of Nigeria with scores of
hostages.

Cameroon's Information Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, confirmed the
attacks saying between 30 and 50 people were taken in the raids -
although he said an exact number was difficult to establish as
investigations were ongoing.

"They burnt to ashes almost 80 houses," he said.

"We are dealing with barbaric people, lawless people," Bakary said.
"Nothing can prevent them from assassinating."

"According to our initial information, around 30 adults, most of them
herders, and 50 young girls and boys aged between 10 and 15 years were
abducted," a senior army officer deployed to northern Cameroon told
Reuters.

Cameroon has criticised Nigeria for failing to do more to confront Boko Haram.

Sunday's kidnappings, among the largest abductions on Cameroonian
soil, came as neighbouring Chad deployed troops to support Cameroon's
forces in the area.

Chad has a reputation as one of the region's best militaries and
helped French forces drive al Qaeda-linked Islamists from northern
Mali in 2013.

Government officials in N'Djamena say the deployment to Cameroon
includes around 2,000 soldiers, armoured vehicles and attack
helicopters.

In a video posted online this month, a man claiming to be Boko Haram
leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened to step up violence in
neighbouring Cameroon unless it scraps its constitution and embraces
Islam.

The group, which has killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in its
bid to carve out an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has also
targeted Cameroon and Niger over the past year as it seeks to expand
its zone of operations.

On Friday, Ghana's President, John Mahama, said African leaders would
discuss plans this week to "deal permanently" with Boko Haram, and
suggested a multinational force may be considered.
--ChannelsTV