‘Bandits’ kill 23 Nigerian troops in northwest: security sources

[Valin]

CGTN Africa

At least 23 Nigerian troops were killed when they were ambushed by a gang of so-called “bandits” in a remote village in the northwest of the country, security sources have said on Sunday.

July 20 2020

The gang opened fire Saturday on the soldiers who were on foot in a forested part of the Jibia district in Katsina state, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The bodies of 23 soldiers have been accounted for while some are still missing,” a military source said.

In the past, the armed gangs, known locally as “bandits”, have been involved in cattle rustling and kidnappings, but a number of experts have recently warned that they could be forging ties with militant groups in the region.

Toll could be ‘higher than 23’

One militia member said the toll could be “higher than 23”, as the search for missing soldiers was underway.

Also on Saturday in the same area, five children were killed and six others injured when a bomb accidentally exploded, a spokesman for Katsina State police said.

(Snip)