LAGOS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government has deployed troops to combat bandit attacks and related violent activities in the northwest state of Katsina, Aminu Bello Masari, the state governor said on late Saturday.
At a news conference in Katsina city, the state capital, Masari said soldiers have been deployed by the federal government to combat bandit activities in state.
He stressed that security matters were not under his control but handled by the federal government, which is in control of the military and other armed forces.
On Friday, John Enenche, the Nigerian defense spokesman, said troops of the Operation Hadarin Daji, launched to rout out bandits from the northwest region, eliminated 27 bandits and destroyed some of their dwellings along the Nahuta-Doumborou corridor on the border between Katsina and Zamfara states.
Enenche said the operation was executed on Thursday, following credible intelligence reports that revealed that notorious bandits were harbored in a cluster of huts in the area.
He added that the air component dispatched a Nigerian Air Force attack helicopter as well as a ground attack aircraft to engage the location.
The northern part of Nigeria has witnessed a series of attacks by armed groups in recent months. There have also been recurring incidents of livestock rustling and armed banditry in the region. Enditem
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