By Ahmed Kingimi
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Nigerian troops killed more than 25 Islamic State-aligned militants as they fought off an assault on a military position in northeastern Borno State, suffering an unknown number of casualties of their own, military sources and a member of the civilian defence force said on Wednesday.
In a separate, earlier incident, gunmen on motorbikes killed more than 25 soldiers and over 100 small-scale gold miners in Zamfara State, in the northwest, a military source, government official, and three residents said.
The attacks underscore the persistent threat posed by Islamist insurgents in northeastern Nigeria despite years of military campaigns against Boko Haram and its offshoot, known as Islamic State West Africa Province. Meanwhile, violence is spreading in the northwest, where bandits and Islamist groups also operate.
Insecurity is likely to be a key issue in Nigeria’s election early next year.
SPECIAL FORCES UNDER ATTACK
In the incident in the northeast, troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion came under attack on Tuesday night from four directions in Kukawa, near Lake Chad, but repelled the assault with air support, according to the military.
“Preliminary assessment indicates that over 25 terrorists were neutralised, with 14 bodies recovered so far,” Captain Mohammed Goni, acting military information officer for Operation Hadin Kai, said in a statement. Troops seized six AK-47 rifles and ammunition during follow-up operations.
The military sources said some soldiers were killed in the fighting but did not provide details.
A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, which supports military operations in the northeast, said more than three of its members were killed.
The military said it would continue joint operations to prevent militants from regrouping and launching further attacks.
GUNMEN ON MOTORBIKES
On October 5, heavily armed bandits on motorcycles attacked a military camp in Bindin, a community in Zamfara’s Maru local government area, killing at least 25 troops, three eyewitnesses told Reuters.
Salisu Abdu, a resident of the nearby Bindin village, said he had counted the bodies of 25 dead soldiers.
A military source who participated in an operation to reinforce security in the community on Wednesday confirmed the attack, saying that he too saw 25 bodies. The gunmen looted the base after overrunning the soldiers, he said.
The gunmen then opened fire in a mining pit on Tuesday where about 1,000 people were digging for gold.
At least 100 people were killed, according to a village head and relatives of the victims.
Reuters could not confirm the casualty figures. Neither the Nigerian military nor the Zamfara State government responded to requests for comment.
(Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha and Ben Ezeamalu, Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria, David Lewis and Bill Berkrot)
