Gunmen in northwestern Nigeria kill 20 people heading to market

ABUJA, Oct 12 — Gunmen ambushed a convoy of traders travelling to a market ​under military escort and killed at least 20 people in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara state, a witness and a ‌military source said on Monday.

• Local resident Musa Danladi told Reuters the attack ⁠occurred around 2 p.m. on ​Saturday with the convoy en ⁠route to Nasarawa market in Bukkuyum district from Gwashi

• ‌Danladi, who helped retrieve ‌the bodies, said four soldiers, three policemen and a ⁠Nigerian civil defence corps officer ⁠were among those killed, along with 12 civilians

• Northwestern Nigeria has seen a surge in attacks by heavily armed gangs, known as bandits, who raid villages, abduct residents for ransom and rustle livestock

• A military source confirmed the ‌attack and said 19 people were also ​wounded

• Military and police authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment

• Separately, the military said an air strike in northeastern Borno state killed more than 40 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, including a senior commander, on October 10

• Military spokesperson Captain Mohammed Goni said the ​strike targeted an ISWAP enclave in Badu village after intelligence indicated ‌the fighters were ‌planning ⁠coordinated attacks on troops.

• Goni said the fighters belonged to ISWAP's Murabitun unit, a mobile force involved in attacks and patrols, and that the strike had significantly weakened the group's operational capabilities ‌in the region

(Reporting by ​Adewale Kolawole and Ahmed Kingimi ‌in Maiduguri; Addititonal reporting ⁠by Hamza ​Ibrahim in Kano; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Andrew Cawthrne, ​Alexandra Hudson)

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