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A pre-dawn attack by Anglophone separatists in the western region of Cameroon resulted in at least 20 fatalities and 10 injuries.

The village of Egbekaw in the town of Mamfe was targeted, with assailants setting fire to residences and killing residents in their sleep, as confirmed by a local government official on Monday.

A senior regional administrative official speaking to a local news outlet reported the casualties and noted that 10 individuals were receiving hospital treatment for severe injuries. At the same time, another account tallied 23 deaths and 15 houses destroyed.

Viang Mekala, a local government official, stated, “The situation is under control and the population should not panic,” indicating ongoing security operations in the region.

Locals have raised suspicions that the assault on Egbekaw might have been an attempt to sabotage the celebrations of President Paul Biya’s 41 years in office. The separatists have been engaged in a conflict since 2017, seeking to establish an independent state known as Ambazonia in the English-speaking territories of Cameroon.