Gunmen late Thursday killed nine soldiers at Sunke village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Daily Trust reports.
According to the report, dozens of gunmen arrived on motorcycles, firing at soldiers and policemen. Sunke is 30km south of Anka town, the local government headquarters.
Sources within state government told Daily Trust Saturday that the attack was an obvious reprisal on the earlier killing of bandits by soldiers.
“Soldiers killed some repentant bandits and they vowed to avenge the attacks. The repentant bandits mobilized their men and raided the army formation in the village,” a source said.
On Wednesday, residents spotted a motorcycle riding gang of armed men at Mayanchi junction along Gusau-Sokoto highway. The gunmen said they were heading to Birnin Gwari in neighbouring Kaduna State.
The attacks on soldiers came barely two weeks after the state government raised alarm over possible attacks on seven local government areas by suspected Boko Haram members.
The spokesman of Operation Hadarin Daji in the state, Captain Oni Orisan promised to get back to this reporter on the incident but didn’t before press time.
