Troops launch ‘Operation Clean Sweep’ in Katsina after General Rabe’s death

Troops of Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansan Yamma have commenced an offensive operation, code-named Operation Clean Sweep III, targeting terrorists and bandits operating within Matazu Local Government Area and adjoining communities in Katsina State.

The operation was launched following the death of former defence spokesman Major General Rabe Abubakar (rtd), who was abducted alongside his wife by terrorists in the area.

The Force’s Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, in a statement issued on Monday, June 15, 2026, said the operation is aimed at locating and neutralising the perpetrators of the heinous act, dismantling criminal networks, and restoring security within the affected communities.

Danja said since the commencement of the operation on Sunday, June 14, the troops have conducted aggressive fighting patrols, intelligence-led raids, cordon-and-search operations, and clearance missions across identified criminal hideouts and suspected terrorist enclaves in Katsina State.

Danja stated: “In the course of the ongoing offensive, troops recorded notable successes in the Dikkawa Hills general area and surrounding communities. Troops conducted clearance operations on identified terrorist hideouts in Adua, Nasarawa and Karaduwa areas, where several criminal enclaves were searched and combed.

“During the operations, terrorists’ life-support structures and logistics bases were discovered and destroyed, further degrading the criminals’ ability to operate within the area.”

Troops nab 46 illegal immigrants in Ogun raid

The army spokesman disclosed that the operation was conducted in close collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders whose support, he said, continued to contribute significantly to ongoing efforts aimed at improving security in Katsina State.

Danja, therefore, assured the people of Matazu Local Government Area and neighbouring communities that troops remain committed to protecting law-abiding citizens and denying terrorists and bandits freedom of action within the region.

He further urged the people of Katsina State to continue providing credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in tracking and apprehending terrorists and criminal elements across the state.

“All information received will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Troops will continue to sustain pressure on criminal elements until the operational objectives are fully achieved,” the army spokesperson added.