The Nigerian Army says it has killed 19 armed bandits in a gun battle in Kano State, in what marks a rare incident of violence in the commercial hub of northwest Nigeria.
Army spokesperson Babatunde Zubairu said in a statement on Tuesday that two soldiers and a local vigilante also lost their lives during the operation.
According to the army, the clash occurred in Shanono, where troops, supported by other security agencies, raided a bandit hideout. The operation, it said, was part of ongoing efforts to curb the rising wave of insecurity across northern Nigeria, where thousands have been killed or kidnapped in recent years.
In a separate development, Nigerian and Nigerien troops repelled an attack by Boko Haram and Daesh-linked fighters on a military base in northeast Nigeria early on Tuesday, killing at least six insurgents.
The army added that follow-up air strikes targeted and killed more of the attackers.
The assault was launched on the Kangar Forward Operating Base in Borno State, near the border with Niger, at around 3:30 a.m. GMT. The attack involved the use of armed drones and mortar fire, according to the regional counter-insurgency task force.
Several soldiers and civilians sustained minor injuries and were evacuated for medical treatment, the statement added.
