Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have rescued 23 kidnapped civilians and arrested four suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group during separate operations in Sokoto State.
The operations, conducted on Sunday, September 20, also disrupted attempted terrorist movements in Wurno, Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas.
The Media Information Officer of Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt-Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed the developments in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Danja, troops of Sector 2 responded to an attack on Sabon Gari in Wurno Local Government Area, where terrorists reportedly invaded the community and opened sporadic fire, forcing residents to flee.
The troops engaged the attackers and forced them to withdraw, rescuing six kidnapped victims in the process.
A civilian who sustained a gunshot wound during the attack was evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.
In another operation, troops acted on intelligence concerning the movement of suspected terrorists along the Sabon Birni-Takatsaba Road around Chabe Biyu in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
Danja said the troops established an ambush along the suspected route of advance and engaged the attackers after sighting them.
The suspected terrorists reportedly fled following the encounter, while troops remained in the area to prevent them from regrouping.
The military spokesman also disclosed that troops rescued another 17 kidnapped civilians along the Isa-Kwanar Isa-Shinkafi Road in Isa Local Government Area.
He said troops responded to a distress call concerning terrorist activity in the area and engaged the suspected attackers, forcing them to withdraw.
A subsequent search of the area led to the rescue of the 17 victims.
One of those rescued sustained a fracture and was evacuated to General Hospital, Isa, for treatment.
Meanwhile, four suspected members of the Lakurawa group were arrested in Illela Local Government Area following intelligence about their movement.
Danja said the suspects were allegedly transporting a herd of rustled cattle from Sarma Village towards Illela when troops established a snap checkpoint along their suspected route.
The operation resulted in the arrest of the four suspects and the recovery of six cows.
The suspects and recovered livestock were taken into military custody for further investigation, while efforts continued to apprehend other suspected members who fled.
The latest operations bring the number of kidnapped civilians rescued in the reported incidents to 23, with six rescued in Wurno and 17 in Isa.
Danja said the operations demonstrated the task force’s intelligence-led approach to disrupting terrorist activities, rescuing civilians and restricting the movement of armed groups.
He added that troops would continue to sustain pressure on terrorist elements and protect communities within their area of responsibility.
