Reported by: Ijeoma .G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Several suspected bandits were reportedly killed on Friday, May 23, 2026, during a military clearance operation conducted by Nigerian troops in the Tsilligidi forest axis of Bukuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, according to security reports and field.
The operation was reportedly carried out by troops attached to Operation Fansan Yamma, the Nigerian military’s counter-banditry campaign operating across the North-West region. Security sources said the troops were advancing from Bukuyum town toward forest enclaves believed to be occupied by armed groups when they encountered fleeing gunmen attempting to escape ongoing offensives in the area.
Reports published on Friday by TheCable and security analyst Zagazola Makama stated that the troops engaged the armed men in a fierce gun battle around the Tsilligidi forest corridor. Several of the fleeing bandits were reportedly killed during the confrontation, although authorities had not officially released a casualty figure as of Friday evening.
The latest operation forms part of intensified military raids targeting criminal hideouts in Zamfara State and neighbouring areas affected by years of armed banditry, mass kidnappings, cattle rustling, and attacks on rural communities. Military operations in the region have increasingly focused on forest networks used by armed groups as operational bases and escape routes.
Bukuyum Local Government Area has repeatedly witnessed violent attacks linked to armed gangs operating across Zamfara’s forest belt. Security records and historical reports show that communities in the area have suffered repeated raids over the past several years, including mass killings, abductions, and destruction of homes.
One of the most widely reported incidents in the area was the March 20, 2022 Ganar Kiyawa massacre in Bukuyum LGA, where at least 37 residents were killed during an attack carried out by armed bandits. Survivors and local leaders at the time said gunmen stormed the village in the early hours, shooting residents and looting homes.
Zamfara State has remained one of the centres of Nigeria’s long-running bandit conflict involving numerous armed groups operating across the North-West. Security analysts and government reports have linked the violence to heavily armed criminal networks responsible for kidnappings for ransom, attacks on highways, illegal taxation of villages, and deadly reprisals against communities accused of cooperating with security forces.
In recent months, Nigerian troops have increased coordinated offensives under Operation Fansan Yamma across parts of Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna states. On April 6, 2026, security operations in Tsafe Local Government Area reportedly led to the killing of more than 30 suspected bandits, including notorious commanders identified as Kachalla Illiya Sarki and Dogo Sule. Reports from The Guardian said the operation followed clashes involving members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, locally known as “Yan Maiduguri.”
Earlier this month, on May 7, 2026, troops also reportedly killed two armed bandits during another clearance mission in Zamfara State and recovered ammunition alongside a motorcycle believed to have been used by the suspects.
Security experts say the dense forest terrain spanning Bukuyum, Tsafe, Maru, and neighbouring local government areas has historically made military operations difficult, allowing armed groups to establish camps and evade security patrols. Despite repeated offensives, attacks on civilians have continued to occur across parts of the state.
As of Friday night, Nigerian military authorities had not issued a detailed official statement confirming the exact number of casualties recorded during the latest Tsilligidi forest operation. However, reports indicated that clearance and pursuit missions were still ongoing as troops continued efforts to prevent fleeing fighters from regrouping in surrounding forest locations.
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