At least 14 soldiers were killed in clashes with hundreds of militants in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria, a military spokesman said Wednesday.
Military spokeswoman Appolonia Anele said the army deployed soldiers to engage more than 300 militants on Tuesday in a “precision strike” as they planned to attack nearby villages from their forest hideout in the Mariga council area, according to the Associated Press.
Anele said 10 soldiers were also wounded in the fighting.
The military added that the operation “inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.”
Armed gangs, many of whom are former herders who have clashed with farming communities, have terrorized northern Nigeria for years.
The military said the exchange involved armed groups operating in the notorious Kwanar Dutse Forest, one of several abandoned reserves in the restive region that have long been used as a hideout.
