Cameroon army kills 11 Boko Haram militants: spokesperson

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon's army killed 11 Boko Haram militants in clashes in the northern town of Amchide early on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense said. Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in Cameroon since the country started cracking down on the radical Islamist group, which has used the far north as a base for recruitment and supplies for its Nigeria operations. "Our troops close to the zone were alerted by our intelligence system, reacted and there was a fight. They (Boko Haram) returned the second time more numerous and they found us ready for combat," said ministry spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck. Badjeck said there were no losses on the Cameroonian military side. Cameroon is contributing troops to a 8,700-person regional anti-Boko Haram force, along with Nigeria, Chad, Benin and Niger. (Reporting by Sylvain Andzongo; Writing by Makini Brice)