ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) 鈥� A gunbattle between rebels and security forces has left 10 police officers dead in a remote part of the country鈥檚 , authorities said Tuesday.
The clash, which occurred on Monday in the Sakaba council area of Kebbi state, also left two civilians and 17 of the rebels dead, police spokesperson Bashir Usman said in a statement.
The rebels were heavily armed and riding on motorcycles when they were intercepted by security forces, said Usman. They were seen close to the border with Zamfara state, where armed gangs who frequently raid Nigerian towns and villages are concentrated.
鈥淭ragically, we lost 10 gallant police personnel in the engagement, while two others sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention,鈥� the police spokesman said.
The attack is the latest in a cycle of violence in Africa’s most populous country, where gangs compete for territory and control of natural resources in villages where they outnumber the country鈥檚 overstretched security forces. Dozens have been killed in recent weeks across the north, and security forces are often targeted.
The under an agreement it says aims to protect Nigerian Christians, though much of that support is restricted to logistics and intelligence-gathering at the heart of the violence in the north.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
