YAOUNDE, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Two Cameroonian soldiers were killed on Friday in an ambush by separatist fighters in the country's English-speaking Northwest region, security sources said.

The soldiers were at a security checkpoint in Big Babanki in the Tubah subdivision when they were attacked, a military official in the region confirmed.

"The separatist terrorists took them by surprise. The sad incident occurred by midday this Friday. We have deployed additional forces to pursue the terrorists and capture them," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua.

Local media reported an increase in attacks on civilians and security forces in the region in recent weeks.

Cameroon has been experiencing an armed separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017, as separatists seek to create a new nation in the regions. ■