ABUJA, Nigeria — An armed clash between rebels and Nigerian security forces left 10 police officers dead in a remote area of the country’s north, which is plagued by conflict, authorities reported on Tuesday.
The clash, which took place on Monday in the Sakaba council area of Kebbi state, also left two civilians and 17 rebels dead, according to police spokesperson Bashir Usman in a statement.
According to Usman, the rebels were heavily armed and were traveling on motorcycles when they were intercepted by security forces. They were spotted near the border with Zamfara state, where armed gangs that frequently raid Nigerian towns and villages are concentrated.
“Unfortunately, we lost 10 brave police officers in the confrontation, while two others were injured and are receiving medical attention,” said the police spokesperson.
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The attack is the latest in a series of acts of violence in Africa’s most populous country, where criminal gangs compete for territory and control of natural resources in villages where they outnumber the country’s overstretched security forces. Dozens of people have died in recent weeks across the north, and security forces are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is providing military support to Nigeria under an agreement that it claims is aimed at protecting Nigerian Christians, although much of that support is limited to logistics and intelligence gathering at the epicenter of the violence in the north of the country.
