The Cameroon Army has enhanced the lethality of its special forces with the adoption of Turkish-made MPT-76 assault rifles.
Developed in the late 2000s for the Turkish military, the MPT-76 is often likened to the AR-15 rifle and shares visual similarity with the German HK-417.
It features a quad Picatinny rail and a retractable polymer stock, enabling compactness and improved handling.
Chambered for NATO-standard 7.62x51mm ammunition, the rifle has a 20-round magazine and a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute.
The MPT-76 comes in three different barrel lengths, but the version used by Cameroon is equipped with a 16-inch barrel.
In addition to Cameroon, the Turkish rifles are also in service with Azerbaijan, Senegal, and Somalia.
Fighting Insurgency
The MPT-76 assault rifles are expected to bolster counter-insurgency operations in Cameroon, where the government has been battling separatist rebels for over seven years.
Clashes often erupt in highly volatile anglophone regions, where separatists launched a guerrilla campaign to proclaim independence.
In May 2023, the separatists kidnapped 30 women who were protesting against rising violence in the country.
Rebel groups also killed around 20 people, including women and children, during an attack in western Cameroon late last year.
Local reports indicate that over 6,000 people have been killed and 765,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing clashes.