Gunmen attack soldiers, kill 5 in Anambra community

Unidentified gunmen have allegedly killed five soldiers, injuring many others in Anambra State.

A source said the incident happened in Umunze community, a suburban town located around the boundary of the state with Abia State.The source said: “I was told the Military men were moving in their vehicle at Umunze, when the assailants struck along that Umunze -Umunneochi road around 1 pm.

“Nobody saw any sign of the presence of those criminals, what we heard was gunshots like a war zone.

“Some of us who were close to the Zenith Bank where the attack happened ran for our dear lives. The criminals took the soldiers unawares, the reason they got all of them,” the source said. Already, there are fears in the community as it is believed that the soldiers may come for a reprisal attack on innocent members of the community.

When contacted the State Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, he confirmed the incident, saying that it happened at about 1pm on Wednesday.

He, however, said the details of the attack were still sketchy, as he did not say the number of casualties.

“The details had not been received, but we know there was an incident at Umunze, which happened between 12-1.30 pm today.”

Meanwhile, Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR has strongly condemned the killing of soldiers who were ambushed on a routine patrol at Umunze by yet to be identified gunmen in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“We condemn this wicked and cruel attack in the strongest terms. The perpetrators of this act must pay. We are not going to rest on our oars, including those people that attacked Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and the rest. There will be absolutely no hiding place for them”. Governor Soludo vowed.

“Going forward, our actions will show, as these people must surely pay for this heinous and repulsive attack”, Governor Soludo further stressed.

The Governor, therefore, urged Ndi Anambra to remain calm and law-abiding as the security agencies are on top of the situation.

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