Military operation in Pinyin leaves six civilians dead

A military operation carried out by Cameroonian soldiers in the Mamben area of Pinyin, North West region, has killed at least six unarmed civilians and injured two others. According to eyewitnesses from Mimi Mefo Info report, the victims were kidnapped from a bar in the area, which is said to be frequented by separatist rebels.

The attack, which has sparked outrage among the locals reportedly began with a bar shooting, that forced them to run into hiding and it was when they returned from their hideouts, that they found five individuals lying dead, with blood trails to another victim who had been shot but attempted to flee.

A witness verified the fatalities, saying among the victims was a mentally unstable man from Ndapang, twin brothers Muluh Promise and Nji from Kongfune, and a cattle farmer who was a resident. A youth was also hit by bullets in the legs, bringing the death toll to six and the number of injured to two.

It is reported according to the same source that the soldiers attempted to administer first aid to a wounded female bar attendant after the shootings, as they instructed passerbys to take her to the hospital. Following claims after the incident that it was an attack perpetrated on separatist fighters, residents have disputed such reports, stating that the victims were not separatist and they knew them very well.

This assault adds to the ever-growing alarmed concerns over security operations in Anglophone regions in Cameroon, raising more fear on the military conducts. Were the civilians civilians killed separatist fighters masked as innocent civilians or were they truly innocent civilians, with the military acting on poor intelligence? As authorities are yet to make an official statement, many hope they do so soon to provide clarity to the public.