At least seven persons were killed and three others abducted when armed bandits attacked Kyara village, a remote border community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in the early hours of Thursday.

Sources said the attack occurred at about 4:00 a.m. in the village, which lies close to the Niger Republic border and has no mobile phone network coverage.

The bandits, who were said to be in large numbers and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the community, shooting sporadically and causing panic among residents.

During the attack, seven persons were shot dead, while two others sustained gunshot injuries. Three villagers were also kidnapped, and an unspecified number of domestic animals were rustled.

Joint security forces were immediately deployed to the area after the incident was reported. On arrival, they evacuated the corpses and the injured victims to a hospital for autopsy and medical treatment.

Troops have since launched a manhunt for the attackers with a view to rescuing the abducted victims, recovering the rustled livestock and arresting those responsible.

Confidence-building patrols are currently ongoing in and around Kyara village to reassure residents and prevent further attacks. (Zagazola, excluding headline)