A joint security team comprising operatives of the Zamfara State Police Command, military personnel and Civilian Security Volunteers has repelled a suspected bandit attack along the Gidan Giye–Magazu Road in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

The operation, according to the police, was carried out on Friday after security operatives received credible intelligence that a large number of armed bandits were crossing the road.

In a statement on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the operatives from the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) moved to the area at about 12:30 p.m., where they reportedly came under a coordinated ambush by the suspected bandits.

The statement said the attackers opened heavy gunfire on the joint security team, but the operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

“Several bandits were neutralised during the encounter, while many others escaped into a nearby forest with varying degrees of gunshot injuries,” the statement said.

The police added that one operational CSK vehicle belonging to the Command sustained damage to its wheels during the gun battle.

Despite the setback, the joint security team maintained the offensive, forcing the fleeing suspects to retreat and abandon their mission.

The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, CP A.M. Bello, commended the courage and professionalism displayed by the operatives during the operation.

He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining coordinated offensives against criminal elements and assured residents that security agencies would continue to intensify efforts to restore peace and protect lives and property across the state. (Daily Trust)

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