By Mohammed Babangida
Eighteen soldiers were on Tuesday killed while eight others were injured in a deadly attack on a patrol team by terrorists, alias bandits, in Kanya community of Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.
Two other members of the patrol team have remained missing since the incident.
This newspaper had reported that the attack occurred while the Kebbi State’s deputy governor, Samaila Yombe, and the army commanding officer in Kebbi were visiting the community.
Sources had said 13 soldiers were killed during the attack.
But PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained credible updates that not less than 18 gallant soldiers felled during the battle. Eight others were seriously injured while another two are still missing.
Those familiar with the incident said the soldiers involved in the attack were from the 223 Army Battalion stationed in Zuru, Kebbi State.
They were part of the deployment for the Joint Task Force of Operation Hadarin Daji, military insiders said.
Our sources said the troops encountered the terrorists at about 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Kanya Village, with intense gunfire ensuing. The soldiers put up a gallant and spirited fight but were outnumbered and overpowered by the terrorists, witnesses said.
The remaining members of the patrol team had to retreat, with the injured personnel rushed to hospital.
During the encounter, the terrorists burnt one gun truck belonging to the Army while also carting away one AA Dushka gun and 18 AK-47 rifles.
The casualty figures on the side of the terrorists remained unclear as of the time of this report, but military insiders said an unknown number of them were also killed and injured.
Bandits, who have since been designated terrorists by the Nigerian government, have been perpetrating atrocities across the Nigerian Northwest and Niger State in the Northcentral, defying a military onslaught targeted at flushing them out of their hideouts in forests across the regions.
Two days before the attack on the soldiers, bandits on Sunday massacred 63 vigilantes also in the state.
