Terrorists Kill Three Policemen, Injure Two in Fresh Katsina Attack

Three police officers have been killed, while two others sustained injuries following an ambush by suspected terrorists along the Guga–Bakori Road in Katsina State.

The attack occurred on Tuesday at about 12:44 p.m. when police officers on routine anti-crime patrol were confronted by the assailants, who reportedly opened sporadic gunfire on the patrol team.

A Bakori resident, Usman Ibrahim, stated in a telephone interview on Wednesday that three of the officers died at the scene, while the two injured officers were rushed to Bakori General Hospital for treatment.

Ibrahim disclosed that the slain officers were operatives of the Mobile Police (MOPOL) attached to the Guga detachment. He added that their operational vehicle was extensively damaged during the attack, raising fresh concerns over the resurgence of violence along the Bakori–Kankara axis of the state.

According to him, the patrol vehicle was forced off the road and overturned a few metres before Layin ‘Yannehu, about four kilometres south of the Guga–Bakori Road, after which the attackers opened sustained fire on the officers.

Confirming the incident in a statement on Wednesday, the Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said the officers confronted the terrorists and successfully repelled the attack.

However, he noted that three officers lost their lives in the gun battle, while two others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The renewed violence comes despite a recently brokered peace agreement between communities and armed groups in Bakori, Kankara, and other local government areas, which had earlier resulted in a noticeable reduction in attacks.