•OPFY foils Zamfara abduction, rescues 16 civilians

Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA said its troops repelled an attempt by armed terrorists on Ghandi town in Rabah Local Council Area of Sokoto State yesterday, following credible intelligence.

In a statement, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Lt.-Col. OlaniyiOsoba, said the troops “swiftly deployed to strategic positions near Ghandi Bridge to intercept the threat.”

He explained that the troops engaged the terrorists on sighting them, forcing them to retreat in disarray, adding that several insurgents sustained gunshot wounds.

Osoba added that the troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, a loaded magazine, additional ammunition and other personal effects during a clearance and search operation.

In another incident, the Media Information Officer of Joint Task Force North-West Operation FansanYamma, Lt.-Col. Aliyu Danja, said the troops foiled separate terrorist abduction attempts in Zamfara and Sokoto states, rescuing 16 civilians and repelling a terrorist attack.

ALSO, troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), foiled an attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Kukawa community in Borno State over the weekend and neutralised 27 of them.

The OPHK Acting Media Information Officer, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said the operation was carried out by troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed to Kukawa, located on the shores of Lake Chad.

Goni said the military had a coordinated ground and air response by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), adding that the terrorists had attacked the troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in the community.

According to him, as the terrorists withdrew towards Cross Kauwa on motorcycles, the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI interdicted their movement. He further revealed that during the fierce engagement, several terrorists were neutralised, while the corpses of terrorists were recovered in subsequent operations.

He explained that thereafter, the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets tracked about 20 motorcycles conveying fleeing terrorists towards the Tunbuns/Kangarwa axis.
An additional 15 terrorists and 10 motorcycles were destroyed in a follow-up precision strike, while the ground troops recovered two motorcycles, neutralised additional terrorists and recovered assorted ammunition and other items.

Danja disclosed that the troops of Sector 2 foiled an attempted terrorist attack on a community in Kaura Namoda Local Council Area of Zamfara State and rescued four civilians, and also rescued 12 passengers in another foiled kidnap attempt on passengers travelling in two vehicles around Kwanoni Village in Tsafe Local Council of the state.

In a separate incident in Tambuwal Local Council Area of Sokoto State, troops also foiled terrorists’ attack around Jabo Village, compelling them to withdraw in disarray. However, two civilians sustained gunshot wounds during the incident and were promptly evacuated for medical attention.