A deadly gun battle between local vigilantes and suspected Lakurawa bandits in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State has claimed the lives of 11 vigilantes, with several others still missing.

The clash, which began on Friday, initially resulted in two fatalities.

However, the death toll rose after nine additional bodies were recovered. Several more corpses are believed to be in the dense Lakurawa forest enclave, and efforts are underway to retrieve them with the assistance of soldiers and security agencies from Binji and Racca.

Eyewitnesses said the confrontation began after local vigilantes foiled an attack on Magonho community, prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire.

The assailants, estimated to be around 40 in number, were heavily armed and arrived on 20 motorcycles. They rustled livestock from the village before retreating.

Troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Masallaci responded swiftly and pursued the bandits, successfully recovering some of the stolen animals.

However, the bandits later returned to Magonho village, opening fire and setting ablaze an MTN communication tower before fleeing once again.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing, as authorities work to account for missing vigilantes and recover additional bodies.