Suspected Lakurawa terrorists have killed two soldiers and a Chinese national in an attack on construction workers along the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway project in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The soldiers were providing security for the Chinese national and other workers when the attackers launched a surprise assault, injuring several people, according to the Kebbi State Police Command.
The attack comes amid heightened security concerns in the area, where suspected terrorists have reportedly been operating in large numbers on more than 100 motorcycles.
The police spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers infiltrated Kebbi through a village bordering the state.
“Yes, the attack occurred, but the terrorists are not from Kebbi State. They infiltrated the state through a village bordering Kebbi State,” he said.
Usman added that the soldiers were guarding the Chinese national and other workers when the attackers struck.
“The soldiers killed were guarding the Chinese national and other workers when the terrorists launched a surprise attack, killing two soldiers and one Chinese national and injuring others,” he said.
The spokesperson said the identities of the deceased soldiers could not be released because they were military personnel.
He described the attack as “barbaric and unwarranted”, adding that joint security agencies had launched a manhunt for the suspected terrorists.
“Joint security agencies are on the trail of the suspected Lakurawa terrorists who attacked and killed two soldiers and one Chinese national,” he said.
Troops repel attack on military base
In a separate incident, troops of Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force, North West Operation Fansan Yamma, repelled an attack on a Forward Operating Base in Maiyama.
The suspected terrorists reportedly stormed the base with assorted weapons, including General Purpose Machine Guns and Rocket-Propelled Grenades, before troops forced them to retreat.
The military said the attackers abandoned weapons, equipment and other supplies as they fled.
In a statement, the task force’s Media Information Officer, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, said the troops responded swiftly to prevent the attackers from achieving their objective.
“The troops responded swiftly and effectively, repelling the attack and preventing the terrorists from achieving their objective,” he said.
Danja said subsequent pursuit operations led to the recovery of 17 motorcycles, a PKT machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, assorted ammunition and a communication device.
He described the recoveries as a significant setback to the group’s operational capability in the area.
“The recovery of the weapons, ammunition, communication equipment and motorcycles represents a significant setback to the terrorists’ operational capability in the area,” he said.
The military spokesperson added that troops maintained control of the area, with patrols, clearance operations and efforts to track down fleeing attackers continuing.
Operation Fansan Yamma said it remained committed to protecting communities and preventing terrorists from operating freely within its area of responsibility.
