Two suspected Lakurawa fighters killed as troops seize weapons

Troops under Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have killed two suspected Lakurawa terrorists during a military operation in Kebbi State, thwarting what security authorities described as a planned attack on a community.

The operation was conducted on June 27 in the Sabarumawa area following intelligence reports that armed men were preparing to strike the community.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of Operation Fansan Yamma, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, said troops from the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion 7 responded swiftly by positioning themselves along the route believed to be used by the suspects.

He said the tactical deployment enabled the soldiers to intercept the group before it could carry out the planned assault.

“As the terrorists approached the ambush position, the troops engaged them with overwhelming firepower, resulting in a fierce gun battle,” Danja said.

He explained that the troops gained the upper hand during the exchange, killing two of the suspected terrorists, while others fled into the surrounding forest.

According to him, soldiers subsequently combed the area and recovered items believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing suspects.

The recovered exhibits included AK-47 rifles, AK-47 magazines, 143 rounds of ammunition and a motorcycle.

Danja described the operation as part of the military’s sustained campaign to weaken terrorist and criminal groups operating across the North West.

He reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to protecting lives and property through sustained offensive operations against terrorist and criminal elements.

He also urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence to facilitate ongoing counter-terrorism operations.