The Katsina State Police Command has confirmed 30 persons killed by bandits in Batsari Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident on Saturday, said that the victims were killed in Tsauwa and Dankar villages in the area.

He said the bandits invaded the two villages riding on motorcycles on Friday night and begun to shoot residents of the two villages.

According to him, the bandits killed 21 persons in Tsauwa village and the remaining nine persons were killed in Dankar village.

He, however, said that the police and the military were able to arrest one bandit and recovered nine motorcycles belonging to the hoodlums.

Isah said that additional policemen and the military were deployed to the areas with a view to protect the communities around.

He said the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Sanusi Buba, had paid visit to the affected areas for assessment of the situation, with a view to prevent further occurrence and trail the bandits to their hideouts in the bush.

A majority of those killed were the aged  and children who could not run for their life.

The bandits burnt down many houses including animals and foodstuffs in Tsauwa village.(NAN)