By HeapNews
Nigerian troops operating in the country’s restive northwest have killed two suspected militants and rescued 62 people held captive in forest hideouts, the army said on Wednesday, in the latest push against banditry and insurgent violence in the region.
The operations were carried out by Joint Task Force North West under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, working alongside other security agencies and local vigilantes, according to a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, acting deputy director of Army Public Relations for 8 Division.
In Kebbi State, soldiers acting on intelligence ambushed suspected members of the Lakurawa group near the border between Augie Local Government Area in Kebbi and Binji Local Government Area in neighbouring Sokoto State. The encounter took place around Kerani village, where the troops killed two suspected militants and recovered two motorcycles believed to have been used by the group for movement across remote terrain.
The army said the suspects were dressed in camouflage clothing and had equipment suggesting long-distance travel.
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In a separate operation in Zamfara State, troops stormed n the Forest, described as a known hideout of a notorious bandit leader, following reports that dozens of people were being held there. The raid led to the rescue of 62 kidnapped victims, who have since been moved to a secure location.
Military officials said arrangements were underway to reunite the freed captives with their families.
The latest raids highlight the continuing campaign by Nigerian security forces to disrupt armed groups that have carried out mass kidnappings and deadly attacks across the northwest, a region that has become a major hotspot of insecurity in recent years.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA said it would sustain pressure on militant and bandit networks as part of efforts to restore stability and protect communities.