Report says at least eleven military officials have been killed in a gun battle with gun runners and armed bandits at different locations in Niger State.

Eight of the armed bandits were also killed in the shootout while fifty-seven others were arrested.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said the attack occurred during cordon and search in different locations following covert surveillance and intelligence reports on the activities of some gun runners and armed bandits in Kopa, Dagma and Gagaw villages of Bosso Local Government Area.

Usman said an officer and eight soldiers of the Nigerian Army and two Airmen of the Nigeria Air Force lost their lives in the line of national duty

The recovered items include; three AK-47 rifles, 10 Local AK-47 Rifles, nine Locally made Pistols, six Revolver guns, which fires 7.62mm (Special ammunition), 45 Loaded Dane guns, 10 Clubs and Cudgels, 41 Arrows, 18 Bow cases, 122 Cutlasses and Machetes as well as 20 Daggers.

Other items are 31 Axes, 63 rounds of 7.62 (Special) Ammunition, 10 Bajaj Motorcycles, Assorted Charms and Amulets, two Vehicles, 38 mobile telephone handsets, a wristwatch, five Identity Cards, Passport Photographs, Cash sum of 23,870 Naira, five Japanese Yen and 35 different denominations of old Nigerian currency, 15 Catapults, eight Torchlights, two Gun Powder bottles, four empty cases of Ammunition and 41 Cartridges.