Battle of Kumbo
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| Battle of Kumbo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Anglophone Crisis | |||||||
 Photo of Kumbo and surrounding hills in 2012 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Cameroon |
 Ambazonia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Menyong Gilbert Sunday[1] | Unknown | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) | Bui Unity Warriors[2] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1–4 killed[3] | Several killed[3] | ||||||
| 3 civilians killed[2][4] | |||||||
On early 10 April 2024, Ambazonian separatist rebels of the Bui Unity Warriors attacked the base of the Cameroonian Rapid Intervention Battalion in Kumbo, resulting a battle that lasted for hours. Several insurgents and at least one Cameroonian soldier were killed. After the rebel main force had retreated from the town, Cameroonian security forces conducted raids and revenge attacks in and around Kumbo in response to the initial attack. News sites reported that civilians were among those killed by the soldiers, though this was denied by the local military leadership.
After the beginning of the Anglophone Crisis, Ambazonian rebels began to operate in the Northwest Region's department Bui whose center is Kumbo. The separatists enjoyed some advantage in the area as its mountainous terrain and poor infrastructure made it difficult for the security forces to clear them out.[5][6] Several different rebel groups began operating in the area.[7]
In 2021, Cameroonian security forces conducted Operation Bui Clean to destroy the rebel presence in and around Kumbo. Even though government forces claimed victory,[6][8] armed separatist groups continued to operate in Bui department.[9] In early 2024, separatists attempted to disrupt local Youth Day celebrations.[1]