Battle of Kolofata (2015)

Battle of Kolofata (2015)
Part of the Boko Haram insurgency
Date12 January 2015[1]
Location
Kolofata, Far North Region, Cameroon
Result Cameroonian victory
Belligerents
Cameroon Boko Haram
Commanders and leaders
Ibrahim Njankouo Unknown
Strength
Unknown 300+[2]
Casualties and losses
1 killed
4-7 injured [2]
Unknown number kidnapped		 143-146 killed[2]

On January 12, 2015, militants from Boko Haram attacked a Cameroonian military base in Kolofata, Far North Region, Cameroon. The raid was unsuccessful, and over 100 Boko Haram fighters were killed.

Background

Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a jihadist social and political movement in a failed rebellion in northeast Nigeria.[3] Throughout the following years, Abubakar Shekau unified militant Islamist groups in the region and continued to foment the rebellion against the Nigerian government, conducting terrorist attacks and bombings in cities and communities across the region.[4]

In late 2014, Boko Haram was continuing an offensive into Cameroonian territory from Nigeria. On December 18, Boko Haram attacked and briefly seized the city of Amchide, in Mayo-Tsanaga. The attack was repelled, and hundreds of militants were killed.[5] Similar attacks occurred on December 28, in various communities around Achigachia.[6]

Battle

Prior to the battle, the military base at the Cameroonian border town of Kolofata was defended by a ditch and a manmade hill. Soldiers from the Rapid Intervention Brigade (BIR) were deployed to Kolofata.[7][8]

Around 6:30am local time, the jihadists took advantage of a thick fog to cross the Cameroonian border and surprise the defending troops.[9] The surprise did not work, and the Cameroonians were alerted to the attack. Several residents fled upon hearing news of the incursion.[8] Fighting took place at the military base and in strategic locations in Kolofata.[7] The camp was the most targeted location, and several Boko Haram fighters entered the compound before they were shot dead.[9] The garrison commander, Ibrahim Njankouo, used heavy artillery to push the jihadists back into Nigeria.[9]

Aftermath

On the evening of January 12, the Cameroonian government reported 143 "terrorists" killed, as well as one Cameroonian soldier killed and four wounded.[10] AFP said that no independent death toll could be established.[10] This initial estimate was probably inaccurate. Njankouo told Jeune Afrique in February "Sometimes using binoculars we count those who were kidnapped to the insurgents' camp."[11] He also affirmed a death toll of 146 fighters killed, one Cameroonian soldier killed, and seven wounded.[11] One Boko Haram "general" was killed by a sniper during the battle.[12]

Among the Boko Haram dead were several light-skinned fighters alleged to be Tuaregs. Njankouo said that Nigerien Tuaregs, Sudanese, and Libyans were among the Boko Haram corpses.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Cameroon says 143 Boko Haram fighters killed in clashes". Reuters. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Boko Haram raids Cameroon army base". Al Jazeera. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Walker, Andrew (4 February 2016). "Join us or die: the birth of Boko Haram". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "Nigeria unrest: 'Boko Haram' gunmen kill 44 at mosque". BBC News. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "Cameroon army routs Boko Haram fighters again, over 100 killed". P.M. News. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Cameroun: 88 tués ce weekend dans des affrontements entre l'armée et les Islamistes". Blasting News (in French). 29 December 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Cameroun et Tchad contre Boko Haram - Contre-offensive". parismatch.com (in French). 18 February 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Après avoir semé la terreur au Nigeria, Boko Haram attaque le Cameroun". leparisien.fr. 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "143 terroristes du Boko Haram tues au Cameroun". Les Echos. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Attaque de Boko Haram au Cameroun: "143 terroristes" et un soldat tués". La Libre.be (in French). AFP. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Cameroun : l'armée face à la pieuvre Boko Haram". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Sur les traces de Boko Haram : Cameroun, la terreur aux frontières". RFI. Retrieved 24 March 2026.

11°09′44″N 14°00′41″E / 11.1622°N 14.0114°E / 11.1622; 14.0114

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