a Boko Haram tank parades in an unidentified town

Gunmen from Nigeria’s Boko Haram killed at least three civilians over the weekend as they attacked six communities in the remote north of neighbouring Cameroon, a defence ministry source told AFP on Tuesday.

“Six attacks were carried out almost simultaneously on Sunday,” the source said on condition of anonymity, adding that at least three people were reported killed in the attacks.

Boko Haram’s five-year insurgency in Nigeria has left thousands dead, and the Islamists have occasionally carried out attacks over the border, including a raid earlier this year blamed on the group that saw 10 Chinese and 17 locals taken hostage. They were released in October.

Cameroon has reinforced its military presence in the region in a bid to stop an escalation in attacks by Boko Haram.