Militants in Nigeria kill 10 security forces and 1 resident in armed ambush

The militants targeted the security forces in northern Nigeria's Kebbi's Shanga council area late Tuesday when they were being deployed to respond to warnings about a pending attack, according to Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for Kebbi state government.

Armed militants ambushed Nigerian security forces who were responding to a distress call in the northwestern state of Kebbi, fatally shooting nine soldiers, a police officer and one resident, authorities said Wednesday.

The militants targeted the security forces in Kebbi’s Shanga council area late Tuesday when they were being deployed to respond to warnings about a pending attack, according to Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for Kebbi state government.

Several soldiers also were injured in the attack in the village of Giron Masa, said Sarki, who shared photos of burned vehicles along a dusty road surrounded by forests. Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the injured soldiers at the hospital and said the attack had caused great loss. (Photo- AP)

Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the injured soldiers at the hospital and said the attack had caused great loss. “Those that lost their lives, the government of Kebbi state will do everything to assist the families,” he said.

The attack is the latest in a cycle of violence in Nigeria’s conflict-battered region where armed groups often target security forces and remote communities in areas with limited state and security presence.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, but some residents suspected the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), known locally as Lakurawa, which recently has become more lethal in states like Kebbi and Sokoto along the porous border with Niger Republic.