Cameroon military ship sinks, dozens of elite soldiers missing

A Cameroonian military ship has sunk off the southwestern coast of the country, leaving "dozens" of elite soldiers from the Rapid Intervention Brigade missing.

A Cameroonian military ship. Photo: Janes.

"The boat sank on July 16 between the cities of Limbe and Bakassi. There were dozens of soldiers on board, including a colonel," AFP quoted a source as saying. The soldiers belonged to the Rapid Intervention Brigade, an elite force in the fight against Boko Haram militants in far northern Cameroon.

"The army has started a search," the source said. At least one body has been found.

In addition to soldiers, the ship also carried construction equipment for a military base on the Bakassi peninsula, where the Brigade had helped restore security after a hostage-taking incident.

Boko Haram originated in Nigeria but the militant group, which is affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), has frequently carried out attacks in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Last week, two suicide bombers, suspected of belonging to Boko Haram, blew themselves up in northeast Cameroon, killing 15 people.

Some 200,000 Cameroonians in the Far North have been forced to flee their homes because of violence.

According to VNE