Eleven gunmen have been killed by soldiers of the 144 Battalion stationed at Ariaria junction, along the Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway, Abia State.
It was gathered that the gunmen, who were reportedly up to 50, engaged the soldiers in a fierce gun battle at their checkpoint at Ariaria junction.
Sources around the area said the soldiers received an intelligence report of the gunmen attack and they laid in wait for them.
As soon as the gunmen arrived, they started shooting sporadically. The soldiers responded, leading to a fierce battle that lasted for over 30 minutes.
In the heat of the battle, 11 of the gunmen were killed while other members of the gang fled with various degrees of bullet wounds as they became overpowered by the soldiers.
Confirming the incident, a top military source in Aba who pled anonymity said only 11 gunmen were killed while there was no casualty on the side of the army.
He said, “No soldier was killed, but we killed 11 of the gunmen. I assure the public that there was no casualty among the soldiers.”
Meanwhile, the Abia state government has commended the soldiers adding that the state is committed to protecting the lives and properties of the residents.
This incident happened barely 48 hours after three policemen were killed by hoodlums in Abiriba, in the Ohafia council area of the state.
