Battle of Darak

Last updated
Battle of Darak
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
DateJune 9–10, 2019
Location
Darak, Far North Region, Cameroon
Result Pyrrhic Boko Haram victory
Belligerents
MNJTF
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 		Islamic State flag.svg Boko Haram - Shekau faction
Strength
Unknown 300
Casualties and losses
17–21 killed
8 injured		 64 killed (per Cameroon and MNJTF)
8 captured
8–16+ civilians killed
1 civilian injured

The Battle of Darak, also called the Darak massacre, occurred on June 9, 2019, when Boko Haram fighters loyal to Abubakar Shekau attacked a Cameroonian and MNJTF military base in Darak, Far North Region. The attack was the deadliest in Cameroonian history since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Contents

Background

Cameroon's Far North region has seen a spate of attacks by Boko Haram, a Nigerian jihadist organization based around Lake Chad, since the group's emergence in the early 2010s. [1] In Darak, six soldiers and seventeen civilians were killed in an attack by Boko Haram on the village in 2016. [2]

Battle

According to Cameroonian security sources, the attack began when over three hundred Boko Haram fighters attacked Darak around 3:45am. [3] [4] The jihadists arrived via boats, attacking an outpost of soldiers from Sector 1 of the Multinational Joint Task Force and a Cameroonian brigade. [4] The fighting lasted for several hours, and MNJTF fighters shot at least three jihadist boats. [3] The jihadists were able to capture the city, and held it until 2pm on June 10. [5] Residents of Darak holed up in their homes while Boko Haram was in control of the city. [5] While fleeing, Boko Haram fighters flew their black flag and claimed the city still belonged to them. [5]

Aftermath

The initial death toll of the attack was nineteen soldiers killed, and eleven civilians, according to a Cameroonian source speaking to Xinhua. [6] This later increased to a total of thirty-seven killed, including twenty-one soldiers and sixteen civilians. [7] [5] By June 21, this number was revised to seventeen soldiers killed. [8] The Cameroonian government later stated that sixteen soldiers were killed and eight were injured, and eight civilians were killed as well. The Cameroonian government also claimed the deaths of sixty-four Boko Haram fighters. [9] Eight fighters were captured as well. [10]

A statement from the MNJTF stated that 10 Cameroonian soldiers were killed and eight were injured, eight civilians were killed and one was injured, and at least eight jihadists captured and an unknown number of injured. [11] VOA Africa reported that the Cameroonian government and MNJTF officially reported the deaths of seventeen soldiers and eight civilians, while local sources claimed twenty-one soldiers and sixteen civilians were killed. [12]

On June 21, the Cameroonian government ordered all flags at half-mast out of respect for the soldiers who died in Darak. [8] The head of state, Paul Biya, the head of the Cameroonian armed forces, and other top leaders all sent condolences to the families of the slain soldiers. [9]

Notes

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    References

    1. ↑ "Cameroon: Confronting Boko Haram | Crisis Group". www.crisisgroup.org. 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
    2. ↑ "Boko Haram's Shifting Tactics in Cameroon: What Does the Data Tell Us? | Crisis Group". www.crisisgroup.org. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
    3. 1 2 "MNJTF kills 64 Boko Haram terrorists, loses 10 soldiers in firefight at Darak". PM News Nigeria. June 14, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
    4. 1 2 "Cameroun : au moins 26 morts après une attaque de Boko Haram, selon un nouveau bilan - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-05.
    5. 1 2 3 4 Powelton, Frédéric (2019-06-12). "Cameroun : nouveau bilan de 37 morts dans l'attaque de Boko Haram". Sahel Intelligence (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-05.
    6. ↑ 237online (2019-06-11). "Cameroun : le bilan de l'attaque de Boko Haram à Darak passe à 19 morts". 237online.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
    7. ↑ Bihina, Fred (June 12, 2019). "Cameroun - Horreur: Déjà 37 morts après l'attaque de Boko Haram dans la localité de Darak (Extrême-Nord)". Cameroon Info. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
    8. 1 2 "Cameroun/Massacre de militaires par Boko Haram : deuil national, vendredi prochain". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
    9. 1 2 237online (2019-06-13). "Cameroun : l'attaque terroriste de Darak a causé la mort de 88 personnes (Gouvernement)". 237online.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
    10. ↑ Eock, Patricia (2019-06-14). "Cameroun : 24 morts dans une attaque de Boko Haram". Africtelegraph - Toute l'actualité africaine (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
    11. ↑ Alwihda, Info. "Cameroun : 64 terroristes éliminés après des affrontements à Darak". Alwihda Info - Actualités TCHAD, Afrique, International (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
    12. ↑ "Deuil national vendredi pour 17 soldats tués par Boko Haram". Voice of America (in French). 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
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