Sokoto attack foiled: Soldiers kill bandits, launch air operation

Security forces in Sokoto State successfully repelled an attempted bandit attack on Sifawa town in Bodinga Local Government Area on Wednesday. The assailants, reportedly advancing from Horo village, attempted to overrun the military barracks in Sifawa around 10 a.m., triggering a significant exchange of gunfire.

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The attackers came in large numbers, and there was heavy shooting. The soldiers and police engaged them and eventually pushed them back.

A fierce gun battle ensued between the bandits and a combined force of soldiers and police officers. Residents reported heavy shooting, with soldiers and police engaging the attackers and eventually pushing them back. During the confrontation, two soldiers were injured and subsequently evacuated to a hospital for treatment. Several bandits are also believed to have been killed, with others escaping into nearby millet farms.

In response, military air operations have been launched in the surrounding bushes where the fleeing bandits are thought to have taken refuge. A follow-up ground operation is planned to secure the area and prevent the bandits from regrouping. The incident caused considerable disruption, with traffic halted along the Sifawa-Birnin Kebbi road for several hours as security forces managed the situation.

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We saw two soldiers who were injured and taken away for treatment. Several of the bandits were also believed to have been killed, while others escaped into the millet farms.

The attack has heightened concerns over the security of rural communities in Sokoto State. Suspected bandits had earlier been sighted moving large herds of cattle through Sifawa in broad daylight, prompting an engagement with troops. Sifawa, a key community and gateway to several farming settlements, is located approximately 20 kilometers from the state capital.

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The air operation is ongoing in the areas where the bandits are believed to have fled. A ground operation will follow to mop up the area and prevent them from regrouping.