Troops of the Joint Task Force, North West Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY) said they rescued 13 kidnap victims during separate operations in Anka and Kaura Namoda local council areas of Zamfara State.
   
In a statement, the Media Information Officer, Lt.-Col. Aliyu Danja disclosed that in the first operation, troops of Sector 2 in Bagega, following credible intelligence, faced off with armed terrorists moving on motorcycles towards Tungan Kudaduku in the Anka council area, forcing them to flee.
   
Danja said a follow-up search of the area led to the discovery of a makeshift terrorist camp, where five kidnapped civilians were rescued unharmed.
   
He stated that in a separate operation at Ungwan Rogo in Kaura Namoda council area, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight, forcing them to retreat, and eight abducted persons were rescued and two vehicles were recovered.
   
Meanwhile, several internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Gasalodi and Tungar Barke villages in Tambuwal Local Council Area of the state, who had just returned to their communities after several weeks of refuge in nearby Jabo town, were reportedly abducted on Wednesday by suspected bandits during fresh attacks.
   
A resident estimated their number at about 20, saying the terrorists had “warned the residents that they would come back once they returned, and that was exactly what happened.”
   
In a related development, bandits reportedly killed two people, including a local vigilante head, and injured several others at Gidan Barau community in Malumfashi Local Council Area of Katsina State.
   
However, alleging injustice by the police in arresting some of their members who were allegedly defending their area from bandits, residents of the community were said to have blocked the Sokoto/Zamfara/Katsina Road for four hours.
   
Alerted that armed bandits were heading their way, scores of vigilante members and youths from the community were said to have quickly mobilised for a confrontation.
   
According to sources, the head of vigilantes in the area, simply identified as Nura, lost his life during the exchange of gunfire, with the bandits later releasing the remains of another victim to the community.
   
However, a traditional title holder in the area, Khalid Suleiman, said the bandits tried to attack the community again while they were burying the deceased, prompting a chase.
   
Suleiman explained that when they pursued some of the bandits into a neighbouring house, whose owner allegedly has a peace agreement with the terrorists, they called in the police, who arrested the people, prompting a blockage of the Malumfashi road junction.