…As IS claims responsibility for deadly Kabul suicide bombing: Amaq***
Troops of 1 Division, Nigerian Army, have killed five suspected bandits in a gun battle along Funtua-Birnin Gwari road, the Army Public Relations office has said.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Col. Muhammad Dole, disclosed this in a statement issued in Gusau on Thursday.
Dole, who was part of Operation Sharandaji in Zamfara, being coordinated by the Defence Headquarters, said the troops under operation “WHIRL PUNCH’’ responded to a distress call of an armed robbery along Birnin Gwari-Funtua road on Aug.14.
“While on hunt for the armed robbers, they are ambushed by suspected bandits, they however fought their way and overpowered the bandits who hastily withdrew into Kwuyambana forest in Zamfara State.
“During the pursuit of the bandits in the forest the dead bodies of five bandits were found.
“Among the eliminated bandits was a notorious bandit from Zamfara identified as Sani Danbuzuwa.
“Regrettably, we lost one soldier while the two others injured, and are currently receiving treatment in the military hospital in Kaduna,’’ he said.
Dole added that after thorough searched of the operation area, weapons including one AK47 rifle, three magazines and 87 rounds of 7.62mm (special) were recovered.
He said other weapons recovered were one G3 rifle, four magazines and 61 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO).
“The troops have also succeeded in the arrest of a wanted vicious kidnapper and expert in negotiations for ransom, called Yinusa Suleiman from Sambuwa village.
“The suspect is currently assisting the security operatives in further investigations,’’ he said.
According to him, the troops remain committed and determined to ensure security and safe passage to all commuters along highways of Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari roads as well as adjoining towns and villages.
In the meantime, Islamic State said one of its militants was responsible for a deadly suicide bombing in a Shi’ite area of the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, the group’s Amaq news agency said on Thursday without providing proof.
Amaq said the attacker was wearing a suicide vest.
Afghan authorities said on Thursday that the death toll from the attack, which hit an educational centre west of Kabul, was 34 and 56 were injured.
Authorities said most of the victims of the Wednesday attack were students preparing for university entrance exams in a classroom at the Mawoud Academy in an area of west Kabul where many members of the city’s mainly Shi’ite Hazara community live.
Investigators said the bomber entered the centre from a rear entrance and made his way into a classroom where more than 100 students had gathered.
Their funerals were due to take place on Thursday.
There has been no claim of responsibility but the Taliban denied carrying it out.
The Hazara have often been targeted by the hardline Sunni Islamic State militant group.
The blast was the latest in a wave of attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians, soldiers and policemen over recent days.
