Abuja, June 3 -- At least 20 suspected armed bandits were killed in anti-terror airstrikes by the Nigerian military in the northern state of Zamfara over the weekend, an official said Monday.
Ehimen Ejodame, the spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, said in a statement sent to Xinhua in Abuja, the nation's capital, that more than 21 motorcycles belonging to the suspected bandits were destroyed during the airstrikes in the Maru local government area on Saturday.
The operation was aimed at "halting a planned large-scale attack on vulnerable communities by armed bandits," the statement said, noting that intelligence received by the military indicated that a significant number of criminals were massing and preparing to strike unsuspecting s...