Nigeria Says Army Killed More Than 300 Bandits in Zamfara State

Nigeria's government says its military has killed more than 300 members of armed kidnapping and cattle-rustling gangs during a two-day operation in the northwestern state of Zamfara.

According to Zamfara State Information Commissioner Mahmud Muhammad Dantawasa, government troops carried out the operation in Gummi District, resulting in the elimination of more than 300 "terrorists."

Armed gangs made up of cattle rustlers and jihadist fighters have long terrorized communities across northern and central Nigeria. They frequently raid farms, steal livestock, kidnap civilians for ransom, and extort farmers by demanding payments to access their own land.

Security analysts say criminal gangs and jihadist groups have increasingly cooperated in recent years, driven by shared interests and the weakness of central government authority. Poverty and insecurity have fueled the expansion of these groups across rural Nigeria.

Residents of Gummi said soldiers, supported by local vigilante groups, launched the offensive on Wednesday night against approximately 1,000 bandits who had stolen livestock.

Local resident Abubakar Muhammad told AFP that the battle continued throughout the night and into the following morning, with more than 300 bandits reportedly killed.

Residents also said the military had attempted to attack the same bandit camp two weeks earlier but was forced to withdraw after being outnumbered.

The Zamfara State government described the operation as a major breakthrough in its efforts to restore security and public order.

Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges, including a long-running Islamist insurgency led by Boko Haram and its rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

In recent months, Nigerian forces have conducted joint counterterrorism operations with U.S. support. In May, a joint U.S.-Nigeria operation reportedly killed the Islamic State's second-in-command along with about 200 fighters.

The country also continues to struggle with widespread banditry fueled by poverty and weak law enforcement. Armed groups have repeatedly carried out mass kidnappings of schoolchildren to demand ransom and advance other objectives.

On Saturday, the Nigerian army said it suffered casualties while rescuing more than 40 kidnapped children in the country's southwest. Authorities blamed jihadist militants for the abduction, an incident that shocked many because the region had previously been considered relatively secure.