2015 Fotokol attack

Last updated
2015 Fotokol attack
Part of Spillover of the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
LocationFotol Cameroon
Date4–5 February 2015
Attack type
Massacre, mass shooting, arson
Deaths91 / 100
Injured500
Perpetrators Boko Haram

The 2015 Fotokol attack occurred on 4 and 5 February 2015 when Boko Haram militants reportedly killed at least 91 people by shooting and burning, and injured over 500 in Fotokol, Cameroon. The militants, who are based in northeastern Nigeria and active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon, [1] also torched mosques and churches of the town. [2] [3] This attack came a day after the regional forces said it had driven Boko Haram from Gambaru, a Nigerian town close by. [4] This was the second foreign country attack by the militants in 2015. This region of Niger is an area where refugees had arrived by the thousands seeking safety from Boko Haram attacks. [5]

Cameroonian troops and Chadian forces have been deployed as a regional force to fight back. The Chadian army has claimed to have killed around 200 militants. [6] The United Nations had also provided support with weapons, logistics, and operations for this multinational effort against Boko Haram. [4]

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References

  1. Bureau of Counterterrorism. "Country Reports on Terrorism 2013". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  2. "Boko Haram Shoot, Burn To Death Dozens Of Civilians In Cameroon". Huffington Post. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  3. Nako, Madjiasra; Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (4 February 2015). "Boko Haram kill more than 100 in Cameroon: local leader". Reuters. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Boko Haram kills 90 civilians and wounds 500 in Cameroon attacks". The Guardian. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  5. "Boko Haram attacks border towns in Niger". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. "Boko Haram 'kill 70' in Cameroon border town of Fotokol". BBC News. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2019.