Sokoto police say bandits abandoned two rocket launchers after attack

Police in Sokoto State said they repelled an attack by suspected bandits on Tsabre village in Isa Local Government Area and recovered two rocket launchers abandoned by the attackers. The attack took place at about 1 a.m. on Friday, according to a statement by state police spokesperson Ahmad Rufa’i.

He said a large number of armed men entered the community and fired shots, causing panic among residents. After receiving a distress call, the divisional police officer in Isa mobilised tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Violent Crime Response Unit, the spokesperson said. Police engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat towards a nearby forest, according to Rufa’i.

He did not say whether any suspected bandits were killed or injured. The statement also did not disclose whether residents or security personnel were killed or wounded during the confrontation. No arrests were announced.

A search of the area after the attackers withdrew led to the recovery of two rocket launchers and two empty AK-47 magazines, police said. Officers also found a Tecno keypad phone without a battery, a torchlight, an army jungle hat, a sweater cap, five pairs of sandals and a rain jacket. The police did not provide details about the type or condition of the rocket launchers.

The supplied statement also did not identify the group responsible for the assault beyond describing the attackers as suspected bandits. Sokoto Commissioner of Police Hayatu Shaffa commended the officers involved in the operation. He urged residents to report suspicious activity and to alert security agencies if people with suspected gunshot wounds sought medical treatment.

The command did not say whether further operations were under way in the forest into which the attackers fled.