Troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have disrupted a terrorist attempt to abduct civilians in Unguwar Rogo Village, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, rescuing nine civilians, including an infant.
The Joint Task Force North West, in a statement issued by its Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, said the operation followed a distress call on 16 August 2026 after terrorists infiltrated the community and attacked civilians travelling along a local route.
According to the statement, preliminary intelligence indicated that the attack may have been carried out in reprisal for the earlier arrest of suspected collaborators linked to the terrorist network.
The suspects had reportedly been intercepted while attempting to procure motorcycles and Premium Motor Spirit for the terrorists.
The attackers subsequently concealed themselves in a millet farm along the route and opened fire on passing vehicles, causing some drivers to lose control and veer off the road.
Mass Abduction
Danja said troops of Sector 2 responded to the distress call and engaged the terrorists before they could execute the planned mass abduction.
The attackers, confronted by the troops’ response, abandoned the operation and fled into the surrounding forest.
The military spokesman said the intervention resulted in the rescue of nine civilians, including an infant.
Two women who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack were evacuated for medical treatment and are receiving care.
“The operation highlights the importance of rapid response to civilian distress calls in preventing terrorist attacks from developing into mass-casualty or mass-abduction incidents, while also demonstrating the continued pressure being maintained against terrorist networks operating across Zamfara and the wider North-West,” Danja said.
Danja reaffirmed the Joint Task Force’s determination to deny terrorists and other criminal elements the freedom to attack innocent citizens, while sustaining operations aimed at protecting lives and restoring lasting peace and security across the North-West.
