Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have recorded major successes against terrorist groups in Zamfara State, thwarting coordinated attacks on communities, eliminating a notorious terrorist commander and disrupting a large-scale assault through precision airstrikes.
The operations, carried out in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, underscore the military’s intensified campaign against armed groups terrorising communities across the North-West.
Security sources disclosed that troops of Sector 2, acting on credible intelligence, swiftly deployed alongside local security volunteers to prevent an impending attack on vulnerable communities in the area.
The troops reportedly engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to retreat after suffering significant casualties.
In a separate operation around Dogon Kade, soldiers responding to an attack on local farmers neutralised Alhaji Tukur, a notorious terrorist commander believed to be the younger brother of wanted terrorist kingpin, Alhaji Shehu Bagiwaye.
Military sources said several other terrorists sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter and fled into surrounding forests.
The operation is seen as a major blow to terrorist networks operating in the area, given Tukur’s alleged role in coordinating attacks and criminal activities across parts of Zamfara State.
Elsewhere in Sabon Gari, troops swiftly responded to intelligence reports of terrorist movements. On sighting the advancing soldiers, the terrorists reportedly abandoned their mission and fled into nearby bushes.
Subsequent exploitation of the area led to the neutralisation of another terrorist and the recovery of a motorcycle suspected to have been used by the fleeing criminals.
In what military authorities described as a major operational breakthrough, the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA also intercepted a large convoy of armed terrorists estimated to be about 300 in number.
The terrorists were reportedly travelling on motorcycles from the Sunke-Kumbo axis towards the Bayazaki riverine area en route to Gummi when intelligence reports alerted security forces to their movement.
Three Nigerian Air Force aircraft were immediately deployed to intercept the convoy. As the terrorists attempted to disperse and seek cover beneath trees, the aircraft launched precision strikes on their positions.
The coordinated air assault inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists and successfully disrupted what security sources believe was a planned large-scale attack on communities within the area.
Military authorities said the operation demonstrated the growing effectiveness of joint operations between ground troops and air assets in tackling security threats across the North-West.”The successful interdiction significantly degraded the terrorists’ operational capability and prevented a major attack,” a source familiar with the operation said.
The latest successes come amid sustained military offensives targeting terrorist enclaves, bandit camps and criminal networks across Zamfara and neighbouring states.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA has intensified intelligence-driven operations in recent months as part of broader efforts to restore security, protect rural communities and deny terrorists freedom of movement across the North-West region.
