Sources in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state on Monday revealed to Daily Trust how a “successful” military offensive on bandits around the Palwaya forest along Birnin Gwari–Kaduna highway neutralised many terrorists but also claimed the life of a young military officer.
Though they gave the name of the officer as Mohammed, the sources could not say whether he was the same Flying officer Muhammad Auwal who was said to have been killed on duty in Birnin Gwari on Saturday.
One source said the offensive on the bandits had followed an ambush by the bandits on a commercial driver around Palwaya forest.
The bandits were said to have killed the commercial driver and abducted two traders around 6pm on Saturday.
Another community leader in Birnin Gwari, Muhammadu Umaru confirmed the incidents, saying the bandits targeted the driver and shot him, forcing the car to stop and then abducted the two passengers whom he identified as Mohammed Sani and Danliti dan Buba.
He said soldiers had then carried out an operation on Palwaya forest shortly after the incident in which they engaged the bandits and killed many of them.
“The soldiers were able to kill many of them and then destroyed their motorcycles after the operation,” he said.
“We understand one Mohammed, a soldier, was killed and another injured during the operations which lasted about 30 minutes because we heard the gunshots. We saw several military vehicles heading towards the forest and saw their return,” he said.
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