LAGOS, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Over 200 gunmen were killed during a joint operation by Nigerian security forces in the country's north-central state of Niger between Sunday and Tuesday, an official said on Wednesday.
Addressing a news conference in Minna, the state capital, Emmanuel Umar, the state commissioner of local government, said two security operatives died in the incidents while a few sustained various forms of injuries.
He said the gunmen were killed in Mariga, Wushishi, Mokwa, and Lavun local government areas of the state, noting that over 100 motorcycles, several rustled cows, and arms and ammunition were recovered from the bandits.
Umar told reporters that several of the gunmen fled with several injuries and were in hiding, calling on the public to report any strange faces in their communities to security agencies as the fight was not for the government alone.
He reiterated the government's determination to ensure that no terrorist strives in the state, stressing that the government's new security strategies and engagement were yielding massive results.
"We will not rest; we will do all we can for these terrorists to pay for the destruction and bloodshed they have caused the people and the state," he added.
"We have adopted new strategies and engagements that are yielding results. But all hands must be on deck to ensure that we all get results, "he said.
The official told reporters that the security operatives were prepared for reprisal attacks over the latest onslaught.
There have been a series of gunmen's attacks in Nigeria in recent months, leading to deaths and kidnappings. ■