26 killed in Nigeria gunmen attacks: Police

Nigeria's police on Tuesday confirmed that 26 people were killed and seven others abducted in two separate attacks by gunmen in the country's northwestern state of Zamfara. The gunmen stormed seven villages in Mada district of Gusau, the state capital, late Monday, killing at least 15 people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Also in Batauna village of the state, police authorities said armed bandits wreaked havoc on residents, killing 11 persons and setting houses ablaze the same night. The security agency identified one woman among the killed in the Mada district attack, while a man and six women were abducted.

Zamfara police spokesman Muhammadu Shehu said the entire attacked areas and environs have been subjected to coordinated bush-combing for possible arrest of the perpetrators. Recent years have witnessed security challenges in Zamfara, the rural state which used to be peaceful but is currently troubled by conflicts between farmers and pastoralists.

Bandit attacks have left dozens of people killed and thousands displaced in Zamfara since December. The Nigerian government has responded with the deployment of additional security forces and military aircraft in Zamfara and the neighboring Sokoto state.

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