Five Nigerian soldiers and one police officer have been killed following a deadly ambush in Zamfara State, in the country’s northwest, the Nigerian Army has confirmed.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by army spokesperson David Adewusi, the attack occurred on Monday during a military operation in the volatile state. While authorities did not identify the perpetrators, the assailants were described as “terrorists.”
“Despite the surprise nature of the ambush, the troops responded gallantly, engaging the terrorists and preventing further harm to nearby communities,” Adewusi said. “Regrettably, five soldiers and one police officer paid the supreme sacrifice during the encounter.”
The ambush comes shortly after a series of successful military operations in Zamfara last week, during which security forces arrested three suspects and recovered a cache of weapons.
In a related development, the Nigerian Army also announced the rescue of 62 abducted persons in a separate operation in the northwest region. Another army spokesperson, Olaniyi Osoba, said the hostages were freed from the Munhaye Forest, a known hideout of notorious bandit leader Kachalla Alti, also located in Zamfara State.
“Efforts are ongoing to reunite the freed hostages with their families,” Osoba stated.
Northern Nigeria has remained the epicenter of escalating insecurity, marked by widespread kidnappings for ransom across the northwest and north-central regions, alongside a prolonged insurgency in the northeast.
The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009 with the aim of opposing Western education and enforcing extremist Islamic law, has since evolved. An offshoot known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has expanded the conflict beyond Nigeria’s borders into neighboring countries such as Niger.
According to the United Nations, the insurgency has resulted in the deaths of approximately 35,000 civilians and displaced over two million people across the Lake Chad region.
Last month, the United States reportedly carried out airstrikes in northern Nigeria targeting Islamic State elements, amid allegations that Nigeria had failed to curb attacks against Christian communities.
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