At Least 19 Dead in Suicide Attack in North Cameroon

FILE: Members of the Cameroon security forces along with civilians remove a body following a suicide attack last year in same region. (PHOTO: AFP)

 Two suicide bombers killed at least 19 people and injured 50 others in a market in Meme, northern Cameroon, on Friday, military sources told Reuters.

Two men walked into the market and blew themselves up, one of the officials based in northern Cameroon said, adding that the number of dead and injured is subject to change.

There has so far been no official claim of responsibility for the attack, but officials pointed the finger at Nigeria-based Boko Haram, which has been blamed for a campaign of suicide attacks in neighboring countries Cameroon, Chad and Niger over the past year.

Boko Haram violence in Cameroon has caused about 1,000 deaths, according to the Cameroon government and military sources.

Boko Haram is thought to have killed about 15,000 people and driven more than 2 million from their homes during its six-year insurgency in one of the world’s poorest regions. The U.S. military now calls it the most lethal violent extremist group in the world.

Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin have set up an 8,700-strong regional force tasked with wiping out Boko Haram. The United States has also sent troops to supply intelligence and other assistance.