Suicide bombers attack Cameroon mosque, killing at least 10

Two suicide bombers attacked a mosque in a town near Cameroon's border with Nigeria during morning prayers Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding about a dozen others, the governor of the region said.

So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack — which was carried out by two women — but the incident in the town of Kolofata is believed to have been the work of Boko Haram members who crossed the border into Cameroon a few days ago, said Midjiyawa Bakari.

The town of Kolofata in Cameroon's far north near the border has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram.  Another suicide attack blamed on Boko Haram in December in Cameroon killed at least seven people and wounded 30 others, officials said. In September, suicide bombers killed nine people in Kolofata and wounded 18.

Boko Haram, which is fighting an insurgency to carve out its own state in Nigeria’s northeast based upon its extreme interpretation of Islam, began stepping up its attacks early last year on neighboring Cameroon and other countries that have supported the Nigerian military's effort to crush the group. 

The United States is also sending military supplies and troops to Nigeria to help aid the fight.

Since late November, Cameroon's army has carried out operations in several border areas aimed at weakening fighters who have been very active in the region.

Sources say these operations have significantly weakened Boko Haram's capability, forcing the insurgents to turn away from direct confrontations with the military in favor of suicide attacks.

The group's six-year insurgency has killed about 20,000 people and displaced 2.3 million, according to Amnesty International and the United Nations.

Despite the offensives launched by regional forces, the group maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad.

Al Jazeera and wire services