Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have rescued 23 kidnapped victims and arrested four suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group during separate operations across Sokoto State.
The operations, conducted on Sunday, also saw the troops foil attempted terrorist attacks in Wurno, Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas of the state.
The Media Information Officer of JTF North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
Danja said troops of Sector 2 responded to a terrorist attack on Sabon Gari in Wurno Local Government Area, where the attackers invaded the community and opened sporadic fire, forcing residents to flee.
He said the troops engaged the attackers and forced them to withdraw, while six kidnapped victims were rescued.
One civilian who sustained a gunshot wound during the attack was also evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.
According to Danja, troops also responded to intelligence about an attempted movement by terrorists along the Sabon Birni–Takatsaba Road around Chabe Biyu in Sabon Birni LGA.
The troops reportedly established an ambush along the terrorists’ suspected route and engaged them after sighting them, forcing the attackers to flee.
The military spokesman further disclosed that troops rescued 17 kidnapped civilians after responding to a distress call concerning terrorist activities along the Isa–Kwanar Isa–Shinkafi Road in Isa LGA.
He said the troops engaged the terrorists and forced them to withdraw, after which they searched the area and rescued the 17 victims.
One of the rescued victims, who sustained a fracture, was evacuated to General Hospital, Isa, for medical attention.
Danja added that troops arrested four suspected members of the Lakurawa group in Illela LGA following intelligence about their movement while they were allegedly driving a herd of rustled cattle from Sarma Village towards Illela.
The troops reportedly established a snap checkpoint along the suspected route, leading to the arrest of the four suspects and the recovery of six cows.
The suspects and recovered livestock have been placed in military custody for further investigation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the group.
Danja said the latest operations demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-driven and proactive military operations aimed at disrupting terrorist activities and rescuing kidnapped civilians.
He added that troops would continue to sustain pressure on terrorist elements and protect communities within their area of responsibility.
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