LAGOS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police rescued 11 people kidnapped by gunmen in the country's northwestern state of Zamfara following a gunfight with bandits on Wednesday, according to a police spokesperson on Thursday.

In a statement sent to Xinhua on Thursday, Muhammad Shehu, a spokesperson for the police in Zamfara, said after receiving a distress call, a team of police operatives were sent on Wednesday to repel a group of armed bandits who blocked Gusau-Sokoto road at Dogon Karfe axis in the state and attacked commuters.

"On arrival at the scene, the police were engaged in a gun duel by bandits who already abducted innocent commuters and were about to take them to the forest," Shehu said.

"The operatives gallantly repelled them, deterring the hoodlums from the further onslaught on the commuters," Shehu said.

According to the police spokesperson, one of the bandits was killed while 11 kidnapped victims were instantly rescued by the operatives after the encounter.

He added that the police had launched a search and rescue operation to rescue the remaining victims who were taken to the forest before the police arrived.

The northern part of the most populous African country has witnessed a series of attacks by armed groups in recent months, leading to many deaths and civilians kidnapped. Enditem

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