The deceased are identified as Mansur, Daniel and Ibrahim, all private soldiers.
The identities of three of the 18 Nigerian soldiers killed by gunmen suspected to be bandits during a gun battle with terrorists in Kebbi State have been revealed.
The deceased are identified as Mansur, Daniel and Ibrahim, all private soldiers.
SaharaReporters had reported how security operatives including soldiers lost their lives in a gun duel with the gunmen in the Zuru emirate of the state.
The killing of the soldiers happened a day after over 60 vigilantes known as Yan-Sa-Kai, were massacred in some villages under Sakaba Local Government Area of the state.
In a signal seen by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the Nigerian Army confirmed that indeed 18 of its personnel were killed by terrorists in Kebbi during the week.
The army authorities disclosed that the soldiers from Light Tank Battalion engaged in a fierce gun battle with the hoodlums – a situation that also left eight other soldiers wounded and two more missing till date.
It added that eight soldiers were wounded while two others are missing in action.
“Operation Hadarin Daji Special SITREP. SITREP NO AS AT 091035A MAR 22. OP ACTS. ALFA. BANDITS ATTACK. AT ABOUT 081040A MAR 22, TROOPS OF TEAM 10 ZURU CONDUCTED FIGHTING PATROL TO COMMUNITIES WITHIN DANKO-WASAGU LGA OF KEBBI STATE. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH BANDITS/TERRORISTS AT ABOUT 081700A MAR 22 IN KANYA VILLAGE AT COORD 11°20′25.33″N 05°35′31.9″E,” the signal read.
“TROOPS ENGAGED BANDITS/TERRORISTS WITH DELIBERATE FIRE, BUT OUTNUMBERED BY BANDITS. TROOPS CASUALTIES. 18 X SOLDIERS KILLED IN ACTION, 1 X 8 SOLDIERS WOUNDED IN ACTION AND TWO SOLDIERS MISSING IN ACTION. EQUIPMENT CASUALITIES. 1 X GUN TRUCK BURNT, 1 X AA DUSHKA AND 18 X AK47 RIFLES CARTED AWAY. MORE DETAILS LATER. TROOPS' MORALE AND FIGHTING EFFICIENCY REMAIN HIGH. PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.”