11 persons have reportedly been killed at the Ariaria axis of Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia state following a gun duel between Soldiers and unidentified gunmen.
The gun duel followed an attack on the army checkpoint which is coming two days after three policemen were killed by unknown gunmen in Abiriba, Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.
The gunmen said to be numbering 50 stormed the popular Ariaria junction on the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway at about 8:30 Tuesday night, ostensibly to attack soldiers stationed in the area.
Soldiers were reported to have laid an ambush for the would be attackers following an intelligence tip off.
While some reports have it that 16 persons were killed, among them two soldiers, a military source said 11 of the gunmen were killed while there was no causality on the side of the army.
A resident of the area who was on his way to a vigil told our correspondent that he was forced to cancel the trip after witnessing the fire power between the gunmen and soldiers.
