Gunmen on Monday reportedly killed eight soldiers, including a lieutenant, in Kaduna state.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency, the incident occurred as troops headed for a rescue mission on an earlier attack and abduction, around communities located along the Kaduna River between Chikun and Igabi LGAs.
There has been an uptick in bandit attacks in the north-west and north-central despite efforts by the military to contain the situation.
In March last year, several soldiers were killed following coordinated bandit attacks on military bases in parts of Kaduna and Niger states.
The army described the assault as a “three-pronged attack” on the bases.