Nigerian troops eliminated dozens of armed bandits after the killing of 16 security personnel at a border area with the Niger Republic.

In an intel sighted by PRNigeria, the security personnel killed at the remote border settlement in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, included men of the Nigerian military, police and the civil defence corps.

The security report states that: “On September 25, 2021, at about 0400hrs, armed bandits in very large number attacked the base of operation Hadarin Daji located at Burkusuma village in Sabon Birni LGA, a border village near the Niger Republic and shot dead 16 security personnel comprising 9 soldiers, 4 mobile policemen and three personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The intel could not confirm if the rifles of the security personnel were carted away by the bandits.

Meanwhile, PRNigeria gathered that the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, in conjunction with other security agencies eliminated scores of bandits who attacked the base in retaliation.

In a statement by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Benjamin Sawyer, he identified the attackers as members of Islamic States for West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists and bandits in Sokoto State.

He said the terrorists were eliminated during a foiled attack on the Forward Operation Base (FOB) at Burkusuma,

“The aggressive operations of troops of the FOB as witnessed in recent months in the North West region, had been a thorn in the flesh of ISWAP terrorists and bandits.”

Mr Sawyer stated that the attackers who came in large numbers using telecom networks provided from a neighbouring country capitalised on the lean rear area protection force.

This was when the main troops were out conducting offensive operations within their area of responsibility.’’

He disclosed that the troops recorded an undisclosed number of casualties during the encounter.

However, the swift reinforcement by own troops helped to counter the attack as many of the ISWAP fighters were eliminated, while some scrambled with various degrees of injuries.

Troops are currently in hot pursuit of the criminals to Bassira in the Niger Republic,” he said. (PRNigeria)

Update news