The troops also recovered one PKT gun with 48 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, three AK 47 rifles, three magazines with 63 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and three motorcycles.

Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji on Sunday neutralised three bandits in an ambush at the Anka-Dan Kapani crossing in the Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Musa Danmadami, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Danmadami, a major general, said the troops also recovered one PKT gun with 48 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, three AK 47 rifles, three magazines with 63 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and three motorcycles.

"The military high command commends troops and encourages the public to avail troops with credible and timely information on terrorist and all criminal activities within their area," he said.

Zamafara, like most states in the North-west of the country, has been a hotbed of bandits and insurgents who maim, rustle cattle, kill and kidnap people for ransom despite the efforts of the military to curtail their activities.