Bartouri, Cameroon (NAFP) – The protective grid which detects air craft traveling over Pan Oceana air space went down today after an attack on the power system that fuels it.
The attack occurred as executives from Transworld Proservices were examining the device.
"The grid was down as of 5 a.m. this morning," Colonel Serpal Singh said at a noon press conference.
"Technicians are working on it now and we expect to have it up within two hours," he said.
When asked who was responsible for the attack or why it would have happened he said that information would be forth coming within the next two days.
While Pan Oceana officials have not said much, several of the people on site when the attack happened have come forward.
(The Generator site – NAFP photo)
Michael Sheridan from Transworld ProServices said he was at the site at the time of the attack.
(Pan Oceana troops move to intercept the detected attackers – NAFP photo)
"We were looking at the units when the attack happened, I don't know what clued them in on the arrival but soon the troops guarding the generators started moving into the bush away from us," he said.
"Soon there was an aircraft flying low over head and through the canopy we could see troops dropping down, only meters away from us. That is when we heard the shooting start," he said.
(Akali drop troops land to take positions against the invaders – NAFP photo)
"After that it was like a state of pandemonium, my bodyguard tried to lead me away from the fighting but it just seemed like there were soldiers and gun fire everywhere," he added.
(Civilians try to flee the fighting as soldiers take up positions to intercept the attackers – NAFP photo)
NAFP photo journalist Scott Johnston had followed the group on the trip.
"We could hear gun fire and I moved up to see where it was coming from," he said, "I saw the two Akalis drop in and went towards where they had landed."
"I could hear screams to my left and then as I emerged through a thicket I saw one of the Akalis firing from the top of a rock," Johnston said.
"Then he fell backwards off of it," he said.
(The Akali advances towards an enemy sniper – NAFP photo)
"The other Akali was by a tree only about 20 yards from me. I saw the back of his helmet blow out and he fell to the ground too," Johnston said.
Sheridan said that soon after the initial gun fire his body guard led him along the creek bed. That is when they witnessed a sharp fire fight between a Pan Oceana soldier and one of the assailants.
The Engineer advanced towards a tree where one of the attackers was hiding, firing as he moved, Sheridan said.
"The attacker had ducked around to the other side of the tree," he said, "then fired as the soldier reloaded."
(The machinist and the SAS trooper face off – NAFP photo)
"We ran at that point and heard the explosions behind us, maybe three or four minutes later," he added.
Pan Oceana officials report that there were two soldiers killed and two wounded in the incident.
A photo-essay of the incident can be see at the link below.
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