Scores of terror bandits were killed during a gun duel with Armed Forces of Nigeria troops at Katanga village in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Thursday.
Before the confrontation, sources confirmed that Katanga Satiru villages were under the full control of bandits loyal to terror bandit leader, Bello Turji.
A vigilante, who was part of the operation, said it was led by the General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army and the team consisted of other high ranking officers, including the Garrison Commander of the Division.
According to the source, “over 20 vehicles stormed the enclave, we fought them for several hours. In fact, it took the intervention of fighter jets to force them (terrorists) to retreat and succumbed to our might.
“It’s too early for me to tell the number of the terrorists killed during the encounter, but there is no a single casualty on our own side. So the operation is successiful,” he said.
A resident of Isa town said several bandits were sighted moving towards the area to support their men during the encounter “but from the information that has been reaching us, they were dealt mercilessly by the military.
“As I am talking to you, the GOC and his men are still combing our bushes in search of the bandits hideouts,” he said.
According to a military source, the GOC had vowed not to come back until they clear all their enclaves in the eastern parts of Sokoto.
“He is a man of commitment who doesn’t want a blemish record. He is there leading the troop in the bush,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the federal government has distributed relief materials to victims of banditry in the state.
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Habib, said the items were immediate and interim supports to cushion the hardships faced by the victims.