Armed “bandits”, as they’re known in the west African country, stormed a base in Niger state Tuesday, overrunning it after a gun battle with troops stationed to combat criminal gangs and jihadists operating in the region, the sources said.

The military put the toll at 17.

The state is part of a region in central and northwestern Nigeria that has for years been terrorised by criminal gangs who carry out deadly raids on villages, conduct kidnappings for ransom and burn homes after looting them.

In Tuesday’s raid, armed men stormed a base outside the town of Bangi in Mariga district in the early morning.

“We lost 20 soldiers and several injured in the well-coordinated attack on the base,” a military officer said.

Some attackers were also killed in the raid, the military officer said, without giving a toll.

“The bandits attacked the camp while others laid ambush on soldiers outside, which resulted in the death of 20 soldiers and several bandits as well,” another military officer said.

According to a situation report from an international aid agency, seen by an AFP reporter, “the assailants overran the camp after a prolonged exchange of fire”, resulting in the “killing of 18 soldiers”.

Residents of communities in the area fled for fear of “further violence”, the report said.

– Forest bases –

With no ideological leaning, the bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain, but their increasing alliance with jihadists from the northeast has been raising concern among authorities and security analysts.

Gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states in the northwest region and Niger state in the country’s central zone, and have carried out mass kidnappings of students from schools in recent years.

In a short statement on Wednesday, the Nigerian army confirmed its bases in Niger and neighbouring Kaduna state were attacked, leading to casualties among troops.

On Tuesday, “forward operating bases” in Niger and Kaduna states “were attacked by bandits in a three-pronged attack”, the army said in the statement.

“Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles while four wounded in action troops are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds,” the army said.

Several alleged attackers were killed in counterattacks by troops with air support, the army said, without giving a toll.

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© Agence France-Presse