Umar Abdullahi 
Some soldiers have been confirmed dead in a fierce firefight with notorious bandits in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to a statement yesterday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 8 Division Nigerian Army/Sector 2 Operation Fansan Yamma, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, scores of bandits in the camp of notorious leader Gwaska Dan Karmi were neutralised during the confrontations.
Osoba said the operation was triggered by credible intelligence indicating that over 100 bandits had gathered at the camp to plan largescale attacks on local communities and military supply lines. “Following days of intensive surveillance, ground troops supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) intercepted the bandits on January 31,” the statement read.
They were however overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the troops , while many bandits were eliminated, others fled with gunshot wounds. The Camp was set ablaze before the troops withdraw.
The NAF component is currently conducting interdiction missions to intercept the fleeing remnants, while ground troops maintain dominance over the area. Regrettably, some gallant soldiers paid the supreme price during the fierce encounter and one combat enabler vehicle was hit by the enemy’s Rocket Propelled Gun, which caught fire.
The Nigerian Army honours fallen soldiers’ sacrifice and remains determined in its mission. Combat efficiency remains high as troops continue to dismantle bandit networks and disrupt their supply chains across the region.
