Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have killed two suspected terrorists and recovered four AK-47 rifles, eight motorcycles and ammunition during clearance operations in Sokoto State. The military said the suspects were killed in separate encounters with troops conducting operations against armed groups in the state.
The operations took place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at Waria Forest and Sarma Village in Sokoto State. The development was disclosed on Friday, October 16, in a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma.
According to Danja, troops of Sector 2 encountered suspected terrorists during a clearance operation in Waria Forest. A firefight followed the encounter, during which one of the suspects was killed, while soldiers recovered two AK-47 rifles, two motorcycles and other items from the area.
The military spokesperson explained that troops subsequently encountered another group of armed men at Sarma Village, where a second exchange of gunfire occurred. One suspected terrorist was killed during the confrontation, while other members of the group reportedly fled, leaving equipment behind.
Following the second encounter, soldiers conducted further searches of the area and recovered six additional motorcycles, two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, 23 rounds of ammunition and one communication device. The military also reported recovering other items but did not provide a detailed inventory beyond those specifically identified in its statement.
The recoveries from both locations brought the total to four AK-47 rifles and eight motorcycles, alongside the ammunition and communication equipment. The military confirmed that one suspected terrorist was killed at each location, bringing the reported death toll from the two encounters to two.
The statement did not disclose the identities of those killed or provide the number of suspected terrorists who escaped during the operation. It also did not report any arrests or give details of casualties among military personnel.
Danja described the operations as part of the task force's continuing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating within its area of responsibility. According to the military, clearance operations remain a central component of its activities against armed groups in the North-West.
The latest encounters followed another operation reported on October 15, in which troops of the Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion 7, operating under Sector 2, raided a suspected Lakurawa terrorist enclave in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
In the earlier operation, the military reported that soldiers advanced through the Alela, Bilange and Kandam village areas towards Waria Forest, where they encountered armed men. The troops reportedly forced the suspects to abandon their positions, while subsequent searches led to the destruction of structures within the suspected enclave and the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.
The military presented the earlier operation as part of its campaign against suspected Lakurawa fighters in Sokoto State. However, its October 16 statement did not identify the two suspects killed in the latest encounters as members of any particular armed group.
The Theatre Command, in its latest statement, commended troops involved in the operations and acknowledged the support received from members of the public. It maintained that continued cooperation between residents and security personnel remained important to its operations across the joint operational area.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest security outpost. It said timely information from communities could assist security agencies in identifying threats and responding to the activities of armed groups.
The reported deaths and recoveries were announced by the military, and the operational account has not been independently verified by Stone Reporters News.
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