13 Cameroonian hostages freed, mayor says

An official in Cameroon says the 13 kidnapped government officials have been released.

Cornelius Edonde, the mayor of Kombo Itindi, said Thursday that the hostages were freed Wednesday and have left for the capital, Yaounde.

The hostages were ambushed earlier this month by unidentified armed men.

No one has claimed responsibility but officials believe the attack was the work of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters, a militant faction disputing Cameroon's ownership of the oil-rich piece of land.

Areas around Cameroon's nearby Bakassi Peninsula remain prone to piracy and attacks. Militias have been fighting with government troops since Nigeria ceded the land to Cameroon in 2006.