No fewer than three suspected bandits have been neutralised by troops of the Nigerian Army during a gun battle with armed bandits in Katsina State.
The bandits engaged the troops in a firefight after security forces responded to an attack on a community, leading to the deaths of three of the assailants.
It was gathered on Friday that the confrontation took place in Dantutture community, Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State, after the attackers invaded the area on Thursday night.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade, supported by local vigilantes, were deployed after receiving information about the attack and moved to intercept the fleeing gunmen.
The encounter followed an earlier assault in which the attackers killed a community leader, identified as Sa’adu Dantutture, and abducted two residents.
The attackers had stormed the community at night and opened fire, forcing residents to flee as the situation deteriorated.
The arrival of the troops, however, triggered a gun battle with the assailants, during which three of the bandits were killed.
According to the military, the operation is part of ongoing military and community-led efforts to contain bandit attacks and improve security in vulnerable areas of Katsina State.
Military personnel are expected to sustain operations around the community while continuing efforts to track the remaining suspects, rescue the abducted residents and prevent further attacks.