[1]Northern Cameroon border, where Boko Haram operates
On February 4, Boko Haram conducted a particularly gruesome attack [2] on the town of Fotokol in Northern Cameroon [3], right across the Nigerian border. Hundred of civilians are feared dead, 81 confirmed so far by the Minister of Defense [4]. Local Human Rights Organization believes that close to 370 civilians were killed [5]. Local testimonies mention scores of bodies in the streets with their throats slit. The town of Fotokol has been subjected to battles between Boko Haram and Camerronian and Chadian armed forces recently: March 2014 [6], August 2014 [7] and October 2014 [8]. Cameroonian Blogger Noelle Lafortune reports that the attack signals that Boko Haram might be losing ground in the region [9]:
Au front, la peur est en train de changer de camp. L'entrée en scène de l'armée tchadienne en appui aux armées camerounaise et nigériane semble être décisive, eu égard à la panique qui s'est emparée de Boko Haram. La puissance de feu des forces coalisées a mis en déroute Shekau et sa bande.
On the frontline, doubt might be switching sides. The emergence of the Chadian army in support of the Cameroonian and Nigerian military appears to be decisive, given the panic moves that has seemingly gripped Boko Haram. The firepower of the coalition forces routed Shekau (head of Boko Haram) and his gang.