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Five soldiers and one police officer were killed on Monday in an ambush in Zamfara State, the Nigerian Army said on Tuesday.
Army spokesman David Adewusi, in a statement, said troops were attacked while carrying out security operations in the state.
“Despite the surprise of the ambush, the troops responded gallantly, engaging the terrorists and preventing further harm to nearby communities,” Adewusi said.
“Regrettably, five soldiers and one police officer paid the supreme sacrifice during the encounter.”
He added that the attack came after security forces carried out successful operations last week, during which three suspects were arrested, and weapons were recovered.
Adewusi also revealed that four terrorists were neutralised and others escaped into the forest during the operations, while three suspects—Isiya Kwakwatawa, Ibrahim Dan Musulu, and Makau Lamba Goma—were taken into custody.
Items recovered included 1 PKT machine gun, 5 AK-47 rifles, 3 AK-47 magazines, other items, rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, Baofeng radios, and 3 motorcycles.
In recent months, there has been an increase in ransom kidnappings in northwest and north-central Nigeria, with armed groups regularly targeting villages, highways, and security personnel.
An ongoing insurgency in the northeast of the nation has been made worse by the violence.
