Bandits kill 23 Nigerian soldiers

A gang of so-called "bandits" has killed at least 23 Nigerian troops in a remote village in the northwest of the country.

The gang opened fire on the soldiers as they walked through a forested part of the Jibia district in Katsina State, security sources said on Sunday.

"The bodies of 23 soldiers have been accounted for while some are still missing," a military source said.

In the past, the armed gangs, known locally as "bandits", have been involved in cattle rustling and kidnappings, but a number of experts have recently warned that they could be forging ties with hardline groups in the region.

One militia member said the toll could be "higher than 23", as a search for missing soldiers was under way.

Also on Saturday in the same area, five children were killed and six others injured when a bomb accidentally exploded, a spokesman for Katsina State police said.

Dhaka/Mukul