Armed Intruder Opens Fire at School in Cameroon... 8 Dead, 12 Injured

[Image source = Twitter capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A school in the English-speaking region of Cameroon in West Africa was attacked by assailants. Foreign media reported that at least 8 children were killed and about 12 were injured.

According to foreign media, around noon on the 24th (local time), assailants on motorcycles entered a school in Kumba, South West region of Cameroon, and indiscriminately fired guns at students attending classes, resulting in about 10 casualties.

Videos taken by local reporters and posted on social media show scenes of adults carrying children out of the school and people surrounding them while crying out.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in a press release that 8 children died either from gunshot wounds or from being cut with machetes (long, broad-bladed knives), and another 10 were injured and transported to hospitals. Some students who escaped the shooting by jumping out of second-floor classroom windows were also injured.

Regional education official Ahim Abano Obase said a total of 8 people were transported to hospitals, and the victims were only between 12 and 14 years old. Another official claimed that the attack was carried out by separatist rebels. The South West region where the incident occurred is an area where separatists are active.

They imposed curfews and closed schools as a form of protest against the French-speaking government of President Paul Biya.

The western part of Cameroon, including South West, is home to residents who primarily speak English due to colonial-era legacies.

This region declared separatist independence in October 2017, claiming decades of marginalization in predominantly French-speaking Cameroon.

However, since then, government forces have launched crackdowns against them, intensifying clashes with the rebels. This has resulted in over 3,000 civilian deaths and about 700,000 displaced persons.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.