The Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of 18 soldiers during a gun battle with terrorists, locally dubbed as bandits, in Kebbi State.
In a military signal obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the army authorities stated that the soldiers from Light Tank Battalion engaged in a fierce gun battle with the gunmen which also led to their death.
It added that eight soldiers were wounded while two others are missing in action.
“Operation Hadarin Daji Special SITREP. SITREP NO AS AT 091035A MAR 22. OP ACTS. ALFA. BANDITS ATTACK. AT ABOUT 081040A MAR 22, TROOPS OF TEAM 10 ZURU CONDUCTED FIGTHING PATROL TO COMMUNITIES WITHIN DANKO-WASAGU LGA OF KEBBI STATE. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH BANDITS/TERRORISTS AT ABOUT 081700A MAR 22 IN KANYA VILLAGE AT COORD 11°20′25.33″N 05°35′31.9″E,” the signal read.
“TROOPS ENGAGED BANDITS/TERRORISTS WITH DELIBRATE FIRE, BUT OUTNUMBERED BY BANDITS. TROOPS CASUALITIES. 18 X SOLDIERS KILLED IN ACTION, 1 X 8 SOLDIERS WOUNDED IN ACTION AND TWO SOLDIERS MISSING IN ACTION. EQUIPMENT CASUALITIES. 1 X GUN TRUCK BURNT, 1 X AA DUSHKA AND 18 X AK47 RIFLES CARTED AWAY. MORE DETAILS LATER. TROOPS MORALE AND FIGHTING EFFICIENCY REMAIN HIGH. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.”
SaharaReporters had reported how some soldiers lost their lives in a gun duel with bandits in the Zuru emirate of Kebbi State.
The killing of the soldiers happened a day after about 63 members of the vigilante group known as Yan-Sa-Kai, were massacred in Zuru.
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