The Cameroonian government has said that about 30 women have been kidnapped by separatist rebels in Cameroon, for protesting illegal taxes imposed on them by the fighters.

Daily Mail reports that the women were seized from Babanki, an agricultural town in the Northwest region near the Nigerian border.

Simon Emil Mooh, the area's chief official, said, “We have reliable information that 10 of the women, who are basically farmers and merchants, were tortured with guns and machetes.”

The separatists were demanding monthly payments from children, women, and men.

They also taxed couples before marriage and made families pay $1,000 to bury their relatives, he claimed.

Since 2017, English-speaking separatists have been fighting in the Central African nation, with the claimed objective of breaking away from the area occupied by the French-speaking majority and establishing an independent English-speaking state.

The separatists have been accused by the government of committing atrocities against English-speaking citizens.

According to the International Crisis Group, the war has killed over 6,000 people and displaced over 760,000 others.

Separatist commander Capo Daniel told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the ladies were kidnapped in May.

He said they were punished for allowing Cameroon's administration to manipulate them. He did not reveal their whereabouts.

Cameroon's military claims to have sent troops to release the women.