ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Armed militants ambushed Nigerian security forces who were responding to a distress call in the northwestern state of Kebbi, fatally shooting nine soldiers, a police officer and one resident, authorities said Wednesday.
The militants targeted the security forces in Kebbi’s Shanga council area late Tuesday when they were being deployed to respond to warnings about a pending attack, according to Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for Kebbi state government.
One resident was also killed in the attack in the village of Giron Masa, said Sarki, who shared photos of burned vehicles along a dusty road surrounded by forests.
The attack is the latest in a cycle of violence in Nigeria’s conflict-battered region where armed groups often target security forces and remote communities in areas with limited state and security presence.