Soldier, civilian killed at checkpoint in Bauchi

A soldier and a civilian were on Sunday afternoon killed at Takanda-Giwa village on Bauchi-Jos highway by some unknown gunmen who attacked a checkpoint manned by soldiers.
Another civilian was injured also injured in incident.
The attack, The Nation learnt has caused panic on the highway as commuters from Bauchi and ,Jos were forced to abandoned their vehicles.
But unconfirmed report disclosed that about five soldiers were killed in the attack on the checkpoint while the attackers made away with the soldiers’ operational Toyota Hilux van.
Our source who was an eye witness could not say if any of the attackers lost their lives or was injured in the exchange of fire with the soldiers.
A military source in Bauchi however informed that “a soldier, who was the driver,of the van was killed in the encounter.”
The civilian was caught in the cross fire between soldiers on duty at the checkpoint and the unknown attackers.
According to the source ” the Sunday attack could be retaliatory attack as security personnel have being chasing the gunmen suspected to be linked to a small cell of the insurgents that were driven away from Balmoral Forest in Darazo local government of Bauchi state last year”.
” Even on Saturday security operatives chased the gunmen from a certain spot within the area.”
It was learnt that the Army and other security agencies were on top of the situation. And more security personnel have been deployed to the area to pursue the fleeing gunmen.