The Islamist extremists Boko Haram are now targeting and attacking more towns with sophisticated weapons in Cameroon. According to Leopold Nlate Ebale, the establishment of a caliphate by Boko Haram is not aimed only at Nigeria but also Cameroon.
Boko Haram's focus have mainly be on towns in the North Western part of Nigeria. Occasionally attacking some border towns in Cameroon and using them as bases for rest and to stock up with arms and food. Recently, its attacks are now spreading further into southern part of Cameroon.
The Islamists since their insurgency have taken up to 20 towns and amassed a weapon stockpile which they took mainly from Nigerian army bases. They have in their possession armoured vehicles, landmines, rocket launchers, Kalashnikovs etc.
They are said to be targeting the far northern region capital of Maroua. Cameroon has deployed around 2000 soldiers to this region and have recorded 32 deaths since the start of this fight.
Cameroon has 4000 elite soldiers who were trained by Israeli soldiers, but there are lots of scepticism about their capability to handle an offensive attack from Boko Haram. This thought is centred on the fact that the army successes recorded against attacks from the insurgents have been largely due to the fact that the insurgents were sending young, inexperienced recruits to Cameroon rather than hardened fighters from Nigeria.
A source stated, ''The Boko Haram fighters we are dealing with are trained in just three weeks; first week, they are given money and drugs, the second week they learn to put together and strip down a Kalashnikov, and the third week they are sent to the front line.
The three countries of Nigeria, Chad and Niger are putting up a regional force with 700 soldiers which will mainly concentrate on the areas around Lake Chad.
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