Cameroon army kills 100 Boko Haram fighters, frees 900 hostages: ministry

A special clean-up operation was conducted from November 26 to 28 against militants in the border area with Nigeria

YAOUNDE: Cameroon troops killed around 100 Boko Haram extremist fighters from Nigeria, freed almost 900 hostages and seized Islamic State (IS) flags last week, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

"A special clean-up operation from November 26 to 28" against Boko Haram fighters in the border area with Nigeria "neutralised more than 100 extremists", Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo said in a statement broadcast on national radio.

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The sweep enabled troops "to release almost 900 hostages, seize a large stock of arms and munitions as well as black-and-white Islamic State flags", the statement added, without providing details on the identities of those freed.

No independent confirmation of the statement was immediately available from the region, which is unaccessible to the media.

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Some security sources reached by telephone confirmed that the raid took place but were unable to confirm the figures released in the government statement.