Lieutenant Njilie killed by Boko Haram last night in Cameroon’s far north in an ambush. Two other soldiers perished

Boko Haram militants gunned down three soldiers in Cameroon on Monday and wounded at least 24 others in Nigeria the same day, in a multinational escalation of a deadly war that seems far from being over.

Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel, said the three soldiers were ambushed by Nigeria-based militants between Zigagué and Salé, two areas in Cameroon’s far north, close to the Nigerian border where Abubakar Shekau’s men who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March last year have been wreaking havoc for years.

Among the dead soldiers was Lieutenant Njilié, L’Oeil du Sahel said, sharing his picture and saying he died holding his weapon and fighting for his nation.

Lieutenant Njilié killed by Boko Haram

In Nigeria, at least two senior Army officers and 22 soldiers were wounded by Boko Haram on Monday, following a gun battle in Kareto, Borno State, the Army said in a statement.

The wounded soldiers were evacuated to the Military Hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State where they were said to be receiving treatment, said Army’s spokesman Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman.

Boko Haram terrorists attacked Nigerian troops at Kareto, northern Borno State on Monday morning, and it was not clear how long the battle lasted.

“The troops successfully repelled  the attack and killed quite a number of the terrorists. The situation has since been brought under control and reinforcement sent. So far our troops had 2 officers and 22 soldiers wounded in action,” Colonel Usman said.

But BBC reported that the Nigerian Army suffered heavy casualties. It did not give a specific number.

The war against Boko Haram seems to be raging and far from being over as claimed by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in December last year.

So far, more than 25,000 civilians have bee gunned down in Nigeria in seven years, while over 1300 people have been massacred in Cameroon since 2013. Besides, more than two million people remain displaced and over 500, 000 children have been pulled out of school. Women are turned into sex slaves while young boys are trained to become mass murderers or suicide bombers.

Last week, Abubakar Shekau, the ruthless Boko Haram leader, released a video showing at least 15 Chibok girls, two years after they were brazenly kidnapped in Borno State as they prepared for exams.

Three parents were able to identify their children, triggering hope and bringing back sad memories of what they might have gone through while in captivity in the deadly hands of men who are modelling their barbarism after the Islamic State, a group of Midlle East killers, inspiring terror attacks all over the world from Belgium to Paris, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and elsewhere.