At least 300 militants of Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram were killed Wednesday in a fighting with a joint army of Cameroon and Chad in Cameroon’s Far-North Region, according to the latest unofficial figure.

Military sources told Xinhua Wednesday evening on condition of anonymity that 16 Chadian soldiers and seven Cameroonian soldiers were also killed in the fighting in Fotokol, a town in Far-North Region bordering Nigeria.

According to the sources, dozens of civilians, including 30 Muslims, were killed by Boko Haram in the area.

The Muslims were praying in a Fotokol mosque when the tragedy took place, the sources said.

Around 7,000 heavily armed militants attacked Fotokol on Wednesday morning, said the sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

The joint army initially retreated but recaptured Fotokol a few hours later after an offensive.

According to a villager in the area, many civilians left their homes to escape the violence.

The African Union decided at the recent summit to form a multinational troops of 7,500 to fight against Boko Haram.

The leaders of Economic Community of Central Africa States will hold a summit on February 16 in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde to discuss the issue on the formation of the troops.