North-West Nigeria: two camps of "bandits" bombarded by the army

Nigerian air force on Saturday bombed two camps established by criminal groups in the state of Sokoto, in the north-west of the country, killing "

" local authorities told AFP on Sunday.

Northwest and central Nigeria have for several years been the scene of the activities of criminal gangs, known

locally as

“

”, who attack, loot and kidnap villagers, stealing their livestock and burning their homes.

They have recently stepped up their attacks, especially in Sokoto State.

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Nigerian air force bombed these two camps located in the district of Isa, and managed by two groups responsible for deadly attacks on villages in rural areas in recent weeks, the sources said.

These are the first airstrikes carried out by the army against bandits in this state, which has recently witnessed an increase in violence.

"

" said a local official. "

", added this source, who asked to remain anonymous.

According to a regional security source, the bombardments on the two different camps were carried out "

" and led to "

". "

" said this source. Details of this operation are slow to emerge as telephone networks were recently cut in the area to prevent bandits from operating. The two sources were reached by phone while in the capital of Sokoto, 80 kilometers from the attacked camps.

Since September, the Nigerian army has carried out airstrikes against bandit camps in neighboring Zamfara state.

Many of them fled to neighboring states, including Sokoto and Katsina state.

According to the two sources, the two camps had been installed by two leaders of criminal groups called Bello Turji and Bello Buzu.

The sources were unable to confirm whether the two leaders had been killed during the shelling.