Army foils terrorist attack, rescues 48 in Zamfara
July 26, 2026 2:32 pm
Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 48 kidnapped victims following a gun battle with terrorists who attacked Magami village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja.
According to the statement, the rescue operation was launched in the early hours of Saturday after troops received a distress call that dozens of heavily armed terrorists had invaded the community.
The statement partly read, “Troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY), have rescued 48 kidnapped victims following a swift response to a terrorist attack on Magami village, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, in the early hours of 26 July 2026.”
The military said the terrorists, who were riding about 40 motorcycles, stormed the village and rounded up several residents with the intention of taking them into the bush.
It added, “The operation was launched after troops of Sector 2 received a distress call indicating that a large group of terrorists, riding about 40 motorcycles, had invaded the community. The terrorists rounded up numerous residents with the intention of taking them into the bush, while another group remained at the outskirts of the village with the motorcycles.”
According to the statement, troops immediately engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle on arrival at the scene, forcing them to flee and abandon their captives.
“On arrival at the scene, the troops immediately engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing them to abandon the kidnapped victims and flee into the surrounding bush. The prompt intervention led to the successful rescue of all 48 abducted civilians,” the statement added.
The Army, however, disclosed that one civilian was killed during the attack, while two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the General Hospital, Kaura Namoda, for treatment.
“Regrettably, one civilian lost his life during the attack, while two others sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to the General Hospital, Kaura Namoda, where they are currently receiving medical treatment,” it stated.
The statement further noted that troops conducted aggressive patrols across the area after the rescue operation to prevent further attacks.
Commending the troops, the Theatre Command praised their professionalism and reassured residents of its commitment to restoring security across the North-West.
“The Theatre Command commends the gallantry and professionalism of the troops for this successful operation and reassures residents of the North West of its unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property.
“The public is enjoined to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to sustain the momentum in ridding the North West of terrorist elements,” the statement said.
Zamfara remains one of the states most affected by banditry and mass abductions in Nigeria’s North-West. Armed groups have repeatedly attacked rural communities, abducted residents for ransom and carried out deadly assaults on villages despite ongoing military operations aimed at dismantling their strongholds.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA is one of the military’s ongoing joint operations established to combat terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes across the North-West region, where security agencies have intensified offensive operations against criminal groups in recent months.
Rotimi, with over 12 years of quality media experience, reports entertainment and politics
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