Army kills 14 suspected bandits in Katsina, recovers seven motorcycles

Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed 14 suspected bandits in two separate ambushes in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, recovering seven motorcycles allegedly used by the criminals.
The operation, which took place late Tuesday night around Gora community, followed intelligence on the movement of armed bandits reportedly planning an attack in the area.

According to reports, the armed men had arrived in large numbers on motorcycles, with two persons riding on each bike, before attempting to ambush military personnel.
However, troops who were aware of their movements launched a counter-ambush between Gora and Gidan Barau communities, catching the suspected bandits by surprise.

One of the sources said some of the surviving bandits later returned to the scene in an attempt to retrieve the bodies of their colleagues but ran into another military ambush.
"At the end of the day, 14 of the bandits were neutralised, while seven motorcycles belonging to the bandits were recovered by the troops," the source said.

The sources said the operation was a major development in the fight against banditry in the area, where armed groups had previously carried out frequent attacks, including kidnappings and the rustling of domestic animals.
They attributed the relative improvement in security to the deployment of additional military personnel and the establishment of an army battalion in the area.

Residents commended the troops for the operation, saying their presence had helped restore relative peace to communities that had suffered repeated attacks by armed groups.
The Mai Unguwa, or traditional ruler of Gora community, Alhaji Gora, and another traditional title holder in the local government, Abdulaziz Sardauna, confirmed the incident.

However, the Katsina State Government and the state Police Command had yet to issue official statements on the operation as of the time of filing this report.