YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — A Cameroon military official says the military has freed nine children and their teacher who had been kidnapped by gunmen Tuesday from a school in Kumba in the country's restive English-speaking South West region.

Armed gunmen abducted the students from Lords Bilingual School Tuesday morning.

Nto'ou Ndong Chamberlin, senior divisional officer for the Meme Division where Kumba is located, said Wednesday that the military killed four kidnappers and destroyed their camp. He said others are on the run and wounded.

Chamberlin said the military found three children in the bush late Tuesday and six others with their teacher unharmed Wednesday.

The kidnapping comes more than two weeks after nearly 80 students and three staff were kidnapped from their school in the neighboring North West region. They were ultimately released.