Cameroon: Suspected Boko Haram female suicide bomber kills 19

Yet another suicide bomber killed at least 19 people in northern Cameroon on Saturday (25 July), close on the heels of Wednesday's (22 July) twin bombings that left more than 12 dead.

In the latest attack, more than 60 were wounded near a popular nightspot in Pont Vert neighbourhood of the northern town of Maroua.

Local residents said the toll could be higher as the bar was crowded.

While no one has claimed responsibility, authorities suspect the hand of militant group Boko Haram which has been involved in a series of suicide bombings in recent months.

The bomber was identified by state television as a teenage girl, as seen in earlier incidents, says a Reuters report.

Wednesday's attacks saw a female, disguised as a merchant and a nine-year-old girl dressed as a beggar setting off bombs.

Governor Midjiyawa Bakari had asked the military to step up patrols in Maroua, as also to seal parts of Cameroon's nearby border with Nigeria to prevent infiltration by Boko Haram.

Earlier this month, Bakari banned local women from wearing burka veils, being used by bombers to conceal explosives.

The Boko Haram, which seeks to build an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has kidnapped hundreds of girls and young women from the region.

The group has stepped up attacks on the countries bordering Nigeria following a regional offensive against it earlier this year.