By Chinedu Asadu, ABUJA
Nigeria
At least 36 Nigerian soldiers were killed in the country’s northcentral region this week during an ambush by armed gangs and in the crash of a helicopter sent to the scene, the nation’s military said Thursday.
Residents told the Associated Press that the
helicopter was shot down by the armed gangs in Niger state’s Wushishi district
following clashes earlier in the week, echoing warnings from analysts about the
growing might of the gunmen in the country’s hard-hit northern region.
Soldiers were conducting an
“offensive operation” in Niger state on Monday when they were ambushed by the
armed gangs, defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Edward Buba told reporters.
“The ambush and the firefight
resulted in the death of three officers, 22 soldiers,” he said, adding that
seven soldiers were wounded.
A Nigerian Air Force
helicopter was then sent to evacuate the casualties but it crashed in another
part of the state, resulting in the death of 14 additional military personnel
including the pilots and crew members, Buba said.
He
said the reason for the crash is being investigated.
Thousands of Nigerians have
been killed in the last year by the armed gangs which mostly comprise former
herdsmen who have taken up arms after clashing with farming communities for
several decades over limited access to land and water.
The defense spokesman said
several other operations had left dozens of gang members either killed or in
custody, and said that the security forces remain committed to restoring peace
in violent hotspots.
The attack adds to other challenges confronting Nigeria’s President Bola
Tinubu, who is leading efforts by the West Africa regional bloc of
ECOWAS — which he chairs — to restore democracy in Niger after the recent coup.
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