Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, on Sunday killed several terrorists in coordinated ground and air offensives in Zamfara State.
The spokesman of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, said in a statement the operation was launched in response to a distress call from residents and vigilantes in Yar Galadima village, Maru Local Government Area of the state.
He said the troops at about 5:00 a.m., troops stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Hanutara were informed of an ongoing terrorist attack on Yar Galadima village.
The troops promptly mobilized to the area to provide assistance and restore peace. En route to the village, the troops encountered terrorists at two separate ambush locations.
The ambush sites were cleared, leading to the neutralization of several terrorists, while others fled the scene.
The Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma deployed aircraft to provide close air support to the advancing troops.
However, the fleeing terrorists were targeted and neutralized in air strikes, resulting in significant casualties among the attackers.
The Joint Task Force emphasised its commitment to ending terrorism in Zamfara State, the broader North West region, and Niger State.
Zamfara State has been a hotbed of terrorism, with bandits kidnapping, killing, collecting taxes from farmers and maiming innocent people.
Efforts of both federal and state governments in ending the social menace have not yielded the expected fruits.
The banditry has already crippled the socio-economic activities in the state, and the Northwest region at large.