The army in Cameroon has confirmed that soldiers have killed nine civilians, including an 18-month-old girl.

An army spokesman said, a group of soldiers opened fire when they encountered hostile villagers in Missong, in the country’s North-West region earlier this month. The spokesman described the use of weapons as inappropriate and manifestly disproportionate.

Cameroon’s ministry of defence said four soldiers have been arrested and an investigation has been launched into the killings. Meanwhile, In the same region two years ago, 21 civilians including 13 children and a pregnant woman were killed by Cameroonian soldiers in the village of Ngarbuh.