Troops disrupt terrorist supply route, seize 180 explosives

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have killed two suspected terrorists and intercepted a suspected explosives courier carrying 180 units of 20mm Super Power explosives in Zamfara State.

The operations were conducted on Friday as troops intensified offensives against terrorist groups and their logistics networks across the North-West.

Troops of Sector 2 encountered the terrorists during a clearance operation around Garin Kaso in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the state, leading to a gun battle in which two terrorists were killed.

The troops recovered two rifles, two magazines, nine rounds of ammunition and two motorcycles from the area.

The Media Information Officer of the JTF North West, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, said another group of terrorists later attempted to ambush the troops from concealed positions.

He said the troops fought through the ambush, inflicting further casualties on the terrorists and forcing the surviving fighters to flee.

Danja said the exact number of casualties recorded by the terrorists in the second encounter could not immediately be established.

“Reports from communities within the general area indicated that several terrorists with apparent gunshot wounds, as well as bodies of their neutralised colleagues, were evacuated by the fleeing elements following the encounter,” he said.

In a separate operation on the same day, troops conducting routine snap checks intercepted a suspected arms and explosives courier.

The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Sani Umar, was arrested after troops searched his vehicle and recovered 180 units of 20mm Super Power explosives.

The explosives were allegedly being transported from Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State to suspected terrorist elements operating in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Umar, his vehicle and the recovered explosives have been handed over for further investigation.

The task force said the operations formed part of its strategy to simultaneously attack terrorist hideouts and disrupt the logistics networks supplying them with weapons, explosives and other resources.

The Theatre Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining offensive operations and denying terrorists and other criminal elements freedom of action across the North-West.