Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Shehu Dalinja, has confirmed the killing of five police officers and two soldiers by ravaging bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the bandits ambushed the security operatives along Gusau-Funtua road, adding that the terrorists blocked the highway.
“Five police officers and two soldiers were killed while repelling the bandits’ attack on the highway on Thursday,” he said.
According to the state police boss, the bandits planned to attack a construction company working along the highway.
Dalinja explained that joint security forces of the police and the soldiers mobilized to the scene, stressing that the bandits had laid an ambush and opened fire on them.
“The aim of the bandits was to penetrate into the premises of Setraco Construction Company to kidnap some staff of Setraco Company. When we got the information, we immediately deployed our operatives to the scene, not knowing that they had laid an ambush on the road.
“On their way, they met heavy resistance from the bandits. They opened fire, exchanged gunfire, and in the process, we lost some army personnel and police personnel in the battle.”