Combating Insurgency: Troops kill five bandits, rescue abducted nursing mothers in Katsina

Troops of Operation Sahel Sanity have eliminated five bandits who attacked Diskuru village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

During the operation, the operatives rescued three women and their infants abducted by the criminals.

Disclosing this during a briefing in Abuja on Thursday on the military operations across the country, the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, noted that a soldier lost his life while rescuing a nursing mother.

He stated, “The period in focus witnessed a decline in criminal activities in the zone. However, within the period under review, troops of Operation Sahel Sanity reacted swiftly to a distress call about bandits who attacked Diskuru village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

“The gallant troops engaged the criminals in a fierce firefight forcing them to withdraw in disarray while three bandits were neutralized by the troops as several others escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds.

“During the exploitation phase, two additional bandits’ bodies were discovered along their withdrawal route. Equally, three women and their infants earlier kidnapped by the bandits were rescued. Regrettably, one brave soldier paid the supreme price in an attempt to save one of the rescued nursing mothers in the heat of the encounter.”

In the same vein, Enenche said the troops deployed at Dan Ali village arrested two suspected bandits’ collaborators, Samaila Usman and Idi Bello.

Similarly, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji equally arrested two suspected bandit collaborators at Yarkirya village and Kankara Market in Kankara LGA.

Enenche also said the Forward Operating Base Kango patrol team on October 31 arrested two suspected bandits at Kango village in Maru LGA of Zamfara State.

The troops of Whirl Punch were also said to have repelled bandits at Bassa village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State during which several criminals were killed.