Nasar Mu’azu, Commissioner for Internal Security in Nigeria’s Katsina State, reported that security forces killed at least 30 armed bandits during coordinated counter-operations in the Faskari area, northwest of the country.
The action came in response to simultaneous attacks by hundreds of gunmen on the communities of Kadisau, Rudama, and Sabon Lay last Tuesday.
According to a statement quoted by Reuters, the joint forces—comprising police, military, and air force units—repelled the assailants after intense clashes, with 30 bandits targeted and killed in airstrikes as they attempted to flee.
The confrontations also claimed the lives of five security personnel and one civilian, while another civilian remains under medical care for sustained injuries.
This escalation is part of an ongoing struggle between Nigerian authorities and so-called bandit groups that have killed hundreds and kidnapped thousands in recent years, especially in the northwest.
Human rights reports indicate that the death toll from armed violence in the first half of 2025 has already surpassed the total number of victims recorded throughout 2024.
