A bomb explosion at a checkpoint in Mile 4 Nkwen, Bamenda, has claimed the lives of at least two police officers, marking another tragic incident in the troubled North West region.
The explosion occurred early on Friday, August 9, 2024, near Centerbolt, a neighborhood in the regional capital. While the identities of the deceased officers have yet to be confirmed, local sources report that the bomb was concealed in a tire placed near the checkpoint.
The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been a long-standing tactic employed by armed separatist groups in the region, particularly the Ambazonia militants. These groups have been waging a violent campaign for an independent English-speaking state in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.
As of now, no separatist group has claimed responsibility for this latest attack.
This deadly incident comes just two days after two other police officers were ambushed and killed by separatist fighters in front of a bank on Commercial Avenue in Bamenda. In response, security forces fatally shot a commercial motorbike rider the following day, reportedly for failing to comply with a stop order at a security checkpoint. Some allege that the officer mistook the biker for one of the separatists, given how he was dressed.
So far, administrative authorities have remained silent on the recent surge in violence.