Twelve security personnel have been killed in an attack by unknown gunmen on a military base in Zamfara State, the AFP has reported.
Citing security sources, the agency said the attackers stole weapons and also set houses on fire.
“The attackers stormed the base around 10:30 am and engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle,” one security source said.
“They subdued the troops and killed 12 of them. They included nine navy, a soldier and two policemen.”
The base in Mutumji, Dansadau district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the state capital, Gusau, is a key site for logistics and reconnaissance in the army’s fight against bandits in the area.
Gunmen frequently attack military bases in Borno State, the heart of a 12-year insurgency that has killed 40,000 people.
But large, heavily armed criminal gangs who raid villages and kidnap for ransom in the northwest and central states have also become brazen.
In July, bandits shot down an air force jet over Zamfara while it was returning from operations.
The pilot safely ejected and managed to escape capture.
Gunmen also attacked the elite defence academy in northwest Kaduna State last month, killing two officers and kidnapping another in a raid in one of the symbols of the armed forces.
The Eagle Online
