News

Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle

Published

on

Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle

By: Zagazola Makama

The troops of the Nigerian Army and hybrid forces, with critical intelligence support from the Department of State Services (DSS), have neutralised no fewer than 45 bandits during a fierce gunfight in Iburu village, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, in what appears to be a major success in Nigeria’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts,

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the joint operation was launched on Friday evening following intelligence that a large number of terrorists riding on motorcycles were advancing to launch coordinated attacks on Iburu and neighbouring communities.

According to the sources, the DSS intercepted early signals of the planned movement and quickly passed the alert to troops who had been on standby in the general area.

“The terrorists were said to have split into smaller columns, attempting to encircle the village under the cover of dusk, but were ambushed by the troops who engaged them in a sustained firefight that lasted several hours,” one source said.

The troops who returned to the scene after the exchange of gunfire confirmed counting at least 40 dead bodies of the bandits, while dozens of motorcycles used by the attackers were reportedly destroyed.

Two members of the hybrid forces fighting alongside the troops paid the supreme price, while four others were evacuated with serious gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at a public hospital in Minna, the state capital.

Friday’s clash is the latest in a series of counter-offensives launched by security forces to decimate terrorists and secure communities across Niger State, especially in the volatile Shiroro-Munya axis which has become a stronghold for various criminal groups.

In April, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, raised the alarm over escalating terrorist activity around the Babanna border area of Niger State.

Adeniyi had revealed that Customs officers narrowly escaped an ambush by terrorists after intercepting 500 jerrycans of petrol allegedly being smuggled to insurgents operating within the state and across the border.

Friday’s success point to the importance of synergy between intelligence services and ground forces in disrupting terrorist logistics and operational movements across the North Central region.

The proactive engagement by DSS, coupled with swift tactical response by the military, is beginning to shift the operational advantage in favour of state forces.

Army, DSS-backed hybrid forces kill 45 bandits in Niger gun battle

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending

Exit mobile version