Yaounde, Apr 13 (UNI) At least nine separatist fighters have been killed in clashes in war-torn Cameroon's English-speaking region of Northwest, according to local security sources.

On Saturday, separatist fighters attempted to attack a military outpost in the region, but soldiers repelled the assault, killing four of them and injuring many others, an army official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity late Saturday.

On Friday, security forces ambushed and attacked a group of separatist fighters in the region, killing five of them, according to the official.

Separatist leaders said on social media that a commander was among those killed by the military and vowed to retaliate.

The Cameroonian army has been intensifying its offensive against separatists in the region since January, raiding and dismantling most separatist hideouts, according to reports by local police.

Since 2017, government forces have been clashing with armed separatist forces who are fighting to separate the two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest from the majority French-speaking nation to form a new country they call "Ambazonia."

UNI XINHUA ARN