10 Nigerian Police Officers Killed In Gunbattle With Rebels In Northern Nigeria
Ten Nigerian police officers were killed in a gunbattle with heavily armed rebels in northern Nigeria, authorities said Tuesday, as violence continues to hit communities near the Kebbi-Zamfara border.
The clash took place on Monday in the Sakaba council area of Kebbi state, police spokesperson Bashir Usman said. Two civilians and 17 rebels were also killed.
Usman said the rebels were riding motorcycles and carrying heavy weapons when security forces intercepted them near the Zamfara border. Two other police officers were wounded and are receiving medical care.
The identities of the rebels have not been released.
The fighting came as Nigerian security forces were already carrying out a major operation along the same border. On Monday, Nigerian army troops, air force units and police were reported to be fighting armed gangs moving from Zamfara towards Kebbi. The group was reportedly travelling in several formations on motorcycles. Residents in some areas were advised to stay alert, while some families moved to safer places.
The region has faced years of attacks by armed gangs involved in kidnapping, village raids and cattle theft. Zamfara has been one of the main hotspots, with gangs often using forests and remote roads to move between states.
The latest violence follows another security operation in Zamfara. On August 9, the Nigerian army said troops rescued 33 people who had been kidnapped by gunmen in the Tsafe area after a firefight forced the attackers to flee.
Earlier this month, Nigerian security forces also rescued more than 300 hostages in a separate operation in north-central Nigeria, showing the scale of the country's wider kidnapping crisis.
The latest clash adds to the pressure on Nigeria's security forces, who are fighting armed gangs in the northwest as well as Islamist insurgents in the northeast.
Authorities have not released further details on the weapons recovered or whether any rebels were arrested after the battle.