Nearly 30 people, including 10 police officers, have been killed in clashes between Nigerian security forces and a large group of armed men in Kebbi State, police said Tuesday.
The fighting broke out at dawn in Rafin Makuku, Sakaba Local Government Area, after police intercepted a heavily armed group of suspected bandits moving between Kebbi and neighbouring Zamfara State.
Kebbi police spokesman Bashir Usman said 10 officers were killed and two others injured in the confrontation. Two civilians were also reported dead, while 17 suspected bandits were killed, although authorities said the figures were still being assessed.
A resident, Ahmad Sani, said hundreds of attackers arrived on motorcycles before exchanging gunfire with security forces.
The northwestern region has faced persistent attacks by armed groups, locally known as bandits, who are involved in kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling and raids on communities.
Despite the deployment of military and other security forces across the region for several years, armed groups continue to carry out deadly attacks, particularly in remote and rural communities.