26 Nigerian safety forces killed, eight injured in ambush: Report | World News
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At the very least 26 members of the Nigerian safety forces have been killed and eight wounded in an ambush by gunmen in central Nigeria late Sunday, two navy sources instructed AFP.
An air pressure spokesman stated a helicopter rescuing the wounded crashed on Monday morning within the space the place the military is preventing prison teams, with out specifying whether or not the crew and passengers had survived.
The 2 navy officers requested to not be recognized as a result of they weren't authorised to talk on the incident whereas navy authorities weren't obtainable for remark.
"We misplaced 23 troopers, together with three officers, and three Civilians JTF (vigilantes) within the encounter whereas eight troopers have been injured," stated the primary supply following "a critical battle" alongside the Zungeru-Tegina freeway.
A second officer gave the identical toll and stated the bandits additionally suffered "heavy casualties". He additionally stated that communication had been misplaced with an air pressure helicopter despatched to evacuate the casualties, with 11 of the useless and 7 of the injured aboard.
A Nigerian air pressure spokesman confirmed its Mi-171 helicopter on a "casualty evacuation mission" crashed on Monday after take-off from Zungeru.
"The plane had departed Zungeru Major Faculty enroute for Kaduna however was later found to have crashed close to Chukuba Village in Shiroro Native Authorities Space of Niger State," spokesman Edward Gabkwet stated in an announcement.
He stated efforts have been below solution to rescue these aboard and that preliminary investigations had been opened into the reason for the crash.
Barely every week goes by in Africa's most populous nation with out assaults or kidnappings by criminals often known as "bandits" within the northwest and centre.
The gangs, who've been infamous for mass faculty abductions, preserve camps in an unlimited forest straddling the states of Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina.
Northwest and central Nigeria have for years been terrorised by bandits who raid distant villages the place they kill and abduct residents for ransom in addition to burning houses after looting them.
Impunity in addition to inadequate safety and wider authorities presence has allowed the violence to fester, specialists say.
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