The Katsina State Police Command on Monday evening said an unidentified number of terrorists were believed to have been killed earlier in the day during a gun battle with its operatives in two simultaneous operations in Kurfi Local Government Area of the state.

The encounters were at Dadawa and Barkiya villages in the council.

The spokesman for the command, Gambo Isah, made the revelation on Monday evening.

He said the encounters occurred at 1.30pm, adding that 74 sheep, 34 goats and, two goats earlier rustled by the terrorists were rescued.

The police spokesman explained, “Today( Monday) 15, August,2022 at about 1.30 p.m, a distress call was received that terrorists, numbering eighty (80), on motorbikes, armed with sophisticated weapons, simultaneously attacked Dadawa and Barkiya villages, Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina state.

“On receipt of the information, the Command deployed its tactical teams to the area and engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel. The team successfully repelled the terrorists and recovered seventy-four (74) Sheep, thirty-four (34) Goats and two (2) cows.

“Many terrorists are feared to have been killed and/or fatally wounded during the encounter. A team of policemen are still combing the area with a view to arresting the wounded terrorists and/or recover their dead bodies,” he said.

Isah added that the state Commissioner of Police, Idrisu Dabban Dauda, appreciated the efforts of the operatives in repelling the terrorists.

The Police Commissioner also urged members of the public to continue to cooperate with security agencies in the current campaigns against terrorists and other criminals in the state. (The PUNCH)