Katsina — The Katsina State Police Command has thwarted two separate kidnapping attempts by suspected terrorists and rescued 20 passengers in Jibia and Faskari Local Government Areas of the state.

The command, in Sunday's statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, said the terrorists opened fire on a commercial vehicle conveying passengers at Kwanar Makera along the Katsina-Magamar Jibia road in Jibia Local Government Saturday.

He said the terrorists, armed with sophisticated weapons such as Ak-47 rifles, shot the moving vehicle with a preconceived plan to abduct its occupants but police operatives swiftly engaged them in a fierce gun battle and rescued the 10 passengers.

He reiterated that the gun duel between the police and the hoodlums forced them to abandon their heinous mission and "flee the scene with gunshot injuries. All the ten occupants of the vehicle were successfully rescued unhurt".

Aliyu, in the statement, added that the operatives of the command foiled another kidnapping attempt and rescued 10 other passengers at Marabar Bangori, along the Funtua-Gusau road in Faskari Local Government on Saturday.

He stated that the suspected armed terrorists laid ambush to a vehicle conveying the 10 passengers, but due to the "superior firepower" of the policemen who engaged them, all the passengers were rescued.

"Unfortunately, one of the rescued victims was rushed to the hospital due to severe assault inflicted on him by the assailants. The victim is currently responding to medical attention," he added.