As part of the activities marking the Nigerian Army Day Celebrations (NADCEL) 2016, troops involved in live field training exercise codenamed HARBIN KUNAMA have intensified patrol of the various forests in Zamfara State.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, disclosed this in a statement issued late Saturday.

He said that in the course of the exercise troops of 223 Battalion while on patrol encountered armed bandits at Madaka village in Maru Local Government Area (LGA) of the state during which they killed nine armed bandits and recovered assorted arms and ammunitions including three AK-47 rifles, two AK-47 rifles magazine, three rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, one machete and 24 motorcycles.

“Similarly,” Col. Usman said, “local vigilantes at ’Yargada village, Gusau LGA, apprehended a fleeing suspected armed bandit and handed him over to troops deployed at Magami. In a related development, troops have also raided a bandit camp at Gangamai village in Dansadau LGA. During the raid there was an exchange of fire between the troops and the armed bandits.”

The statement also said the bandits escaped with gunshot wounds. It added that troops were however able to recover two dane guns, bags containing marijuana (aka Indian hemp). Another team also carried out raid on cattle rustlers and armed bandits’ camp at Gidan Mai Jaja in Dansadau general area.

“Here, the rustlers and armed bandits fled on sighting the approaching troops abandoning 85 cows, 37 sheep and a donkey. Similarly, another patrol team also carried out a raid on a armed bandits and cattle rustlers camp at Gobirawan Kwacha where they killed two armed bandits and recovered a machete,” the Army Spokesman said.

•Photo shows troops in action.