By Kingsley Omonobi

The Joint Task Force, Operation Fansan Yamma, said on Saturday that its troops conducting offensive operations in Zamfara State had neutralised several terrorists, recovered weapons and intercepted a suspected explosives courier with 180 units of 20mm Super Power explosives.

The Media Information Officer of the operation, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement on operations conducted on August 14, 2026.

Danja said troops of Sector 2, while conducting an offensive clearance operation in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara, encountered terrorists around Garin Kaso and engaged them in a fierce firefight.

He said two terrorists were confirmed neutralised during the initial encounter, while troops recovered two rifles, two magazines, nine rounds of ammunition and two motorcycles.

According to him, another group of terrorists subsequently attempted to ambush the troops from concealed positions.

“Troops responded decisively, fought through the ambush and inflicted further casualties on the terrorists, forcing surviving elements to flee the area,” he said.

Danja said the exact number of additional casualties among the terrorists could not be immediately confirmed.

He, however, said reports from communities in the area indicated that several terrorists with apparent gunshot wounds, alongside the bodies of their neutralised colleagues, were evacuated by the fleeing elements.

In a separate operation on the same day, troops of Sector 2 intercepted a suspected arms and explosives courier during routine snap checks on vehicles.

The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Sani Umar, was allegedly conveying 180 units of 20mm Super Power explosives from Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara to suspected terrorist elements operating in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Danja said the vehicle was searched, leading to the recovery of the explosives.

He added that the suspect, vehicle and recovered materials had been taken into custody for further investigation.

The Theatre Command said the operations underscored the sustained offensive posture of Operation Fansan Yamma, particularly its efforts to simultaneously attack terrorist enclaves and disrupt logistics networks supplying weapons, explosives and other resources to criminal elements.

The command reaffirmed its resolve to sustain ongoing operations and deny terrorists and other criminal elements freedom of action across the North-West.