Terrorists gun down soldiers in Kaduna, set armoured vehicles on fire

At least 11 soldiers were killed in an ambush terrorists laid along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway in Kaduna State.

At least 11 soldiers were killed in an ambush laid by terrorists along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway in Kaduna State.

The 123km stretch Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway has been identified as one of the most deadly routes in northern Nigeria.

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Security sources told Daily Trust that terrorists, in their hundreds, ambushed and massacred the soldiers, setting two military Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) ablaze, on Sunday.

He said the terrorists were moving several herds of cows when the soldiers, suspecting the cows had been rustled, engaged them.

“The soldiers thought it was a few bandits and engaged them. Yes, they killed some of the bandits but the terrorists overpowered them. The terrorists did not leave bodies of their gang members behind. They also burnt down two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs).”

Abdul Ahmed, a resident of Birnin Gwari,  told our correspondent that on Monday morning, a military redeployment was sent to the area to evacuate the dead soldiers.

He said he counted about 11 corpses of soldiers loaded into a van.

In a video seen by Daily Trust, the corpses of the soldiers were seen by the roadside.

This is one of the many attacks in Kaduna in the last few weeks.

An official of the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) was killed when bandits struck outside the Kaduna International Airport.

Also a Kaduna-bound train was attacked last week while many passengers were abducted and nine killed.

Commenting on the attacks, Governor Nasir El-Rufai had said mercenaries might be hired if the Federal Government failed to act, but this triggered massive backlash.