Gunmen have murdered eight persons in Chicim community of Mangu Local Council Area of Plateau State.
The gunmen invaded the community, located a kilometre from Mangu town, at about 10.00 p.m. on Tuesday night and started shooting sporadically.
Sources said three persons, who sustained injuries, were receiving treatment.
A local of the community, Kespan Iliya, said residents of the community were asleep when the gunmen stormed and started shooting at anything in sight.
Meanwhile, over 96 houses have been razed in Gyenbwas, a community in Langai district of Mangu.
Security operatives and relevant authorities could not be reached to get more information on the incidents .
Sources, however, said the troops of the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, acting on distress calls from locals, swiftly mobilised to Chicim Village around 10.00 p.m., where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle and successfully forced them to retreat into the surrounding bushes.
Again, the troops received additional alerts from other communities in Mangu under attacks. Reinforcements were immediately deployed, and the military successfully repelled the attackers in all affected areas.
It was learnt that two dead bodies were recovered at separate locations in the aftermath of the attacks and have been evacuated to the General Hospital in Mangu.
