Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have rescued 23 kidnapped victims and arrested four suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group during separate operations across Sokoto State.
The operations, carried out on Sunday, also saw the troops foil suspected terrorist attacks in Wurno, Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas of the state.
The Media Information Officer of the JTF North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt-Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
Danja said troops of Sector 2 responded to an attack on Sabon Gari in Wurno Local Government Area after terrorists invaded the community and opened sporadic gunfire, forcing residents to flee.
According to him, the troops engaged the attackers and compelled them to withdraw from the area, leading to the rescue of six kidnapped victims.
He added that a civilian who sustained a gunshot injury during the attack was evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.
The military spokesman said troops also acted on intelligence concerning the movement of terrorists along the Sabon Birni-Takatsaba Road around Chabe Biyu in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.
He explained that soldiers positioned themselves along the suspected route and engaged the terrorists after sighting them, forcing the attackers to flee.
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The troops subsequently maintained a presence in the area to prevent the terrorists from regrouping and restrict their freedom of movement.
In Isa Local Government Area, troops rescued another 17 kidnapped civilians after responding to a distress call about terrorist activities along the Isa-Kwanar Isa-Shinkafi Road.
Danja said the troops made contact with the terrorists and engaged them, forcing them to retreat before soldiers conducted an operation in the area that led to the rescue of the victims.
One of the rescued victims, who sustained a fracture, was taken to the General Hospital in Isa for medical attention.
Meanwhile, four suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group were arrested in Illela Local Government Area following intelligence about their movement.
According to Danja, the suspects were allegedly driving 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 and necessary action, while efforts continued to apprehend other members of the group who fled.
Danja said the latest operations highlighted the impact of intelligence-driven military action in disrupting terrorist activities and rescuing kidnapped civilians.
He added that troops would continue to sustain pressure on terrorist elements and protect communities within their area of responsibility.
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