By Peter Kum

MAROUA, Cameroon

A landmine explosion in northern Cameroon killed two soldiers on Thursday, officials said.

The Cameroonian soldiers, who were part of a joint military task force against Boko Haram, were carrying out a foot patrol when they stepped on the mine near the Nigeria border, said Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region.

The mine had been laid down by Boko Haram militants, he added.

General Frederick Ndjonkep, commander of the joint military task force, confirmed the death of the two soldiers, adding that they were patrolling between the border areas of Bonderi and Kangarwa villages.

"Several roads near the Nigerian border are riddled with mines," he said.

Boko Haram attacks have killed nearly 2,500 Cameroonians between 2014 and 2017, according to Issa Tchiroma Bakari, communication minister and government spokesman.

Cameroon is part of a joint task force against Boko Haram, which also includes Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Benin.

Approximately 26 million people in the Lake Chad region have been affected by the Boko Haram violence, and more than 2.6 million displaced, according to the UN Refugee Agency.