The United States strongly condemns the horrific and indiscriminate Boko Haram suicide attacks on the central market and Barmare residential neighborhood of Maroua, Cameroon, and the multiple bomb blasts at two bus stations in the northern Nigerian city of Gombe on Wednesday, July 22. We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the soldiers, government officials and civilians killed, and hope for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Boko Haram's unconscionable use of children as suicide bombers and indiscriminate targeting of men, women and children highlights the group's senseless brutality. We remain committed to working closely with Cameroon, Nigeria and the other Lake Chad Basin countries to defeat Boko Haram.

The United States praises the security forces of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria for their response to these and other recent callous attacks on innocent civilians.

The United States continues to support the governments and people of the Lake Chad Basin region in their ongoing struggle to degrade and defeat Boko Haram. We support these efforts through a number of security and counterterrorism assistance programs, which provide intelligence, advisors, training, equipment, and logistics. We look forward to expanding this support on a bilateral basis and through the Multinational Joint Task Force, which the Lake Chad Basin countries and Benin are standing up to coordinate the regional efforts to counter Boko Haram.