At least 14 Nigerian soldiers have been killed during a military operation against armed gangs in Niger State, the army confirmed on Wednesday. The clash occurred in the north-central Mariga council area, where troops confronted more than 300 gunmen suspected of plotting coordinated attacks on local villages.
According to army spokesperson Appolonia Anele, the gunmen were positioned in a forest enclave and preparing to launch assaults when the military initiated “precision strikes” and deployed troops to engage the threat.
Ten additional soldiers were wounded in the operation, which, according to Anele, inflicted “significant enemy losses.”
The Nigerian army said the armed groups involved were operating from the Kwanar Dutse Forest, a known hideout and one of several abandoned reserves in the region now used by criminal gangs. These groups—often composed of former pastoralists—have been responsible for ongoing violence across northern Nigeria, where long-standing clashes between herders and farmers have fueled insecurity.
The military has intensified efforts to secure the region amid rising concerns over banditry, kidnappings, and rural violence.
