Troops of the Joint Task Force North West Operation Fansan Yamma, Thursday destroyed several terrorist camps around Bichi Hill in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina state.
The coordinator, Joint Media Coordination Centre Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt. Col, Abubakar Abdullahi, said in a statement made available Thursday that the operation came in response to credible intelligence that revealed active terrorist activities in the area, which had culminated in assaults on local communities in Danmusa, Safana, and Kankara local government area on 19 December, 2024.
“In a combined ground and air offensive, troops targeted these camps in an effort to dismantle the terrorists’ operations and restore peace to the affected areas,” he stated.
Abubakar added that the operation involved precision air strikes conducted by the air component on identified terrorist locations during multiple passes.
“Despite the air strikes, some surviving terrorists attempted to regroup in the vicinity of Bichi Hill, leading to a fierce firefight with ground troops,” he stated.
He stated further that the engagement lasted for several hours, but the terrorists were ultimately overpowered by the troop’s superior firepower.
“As a further blow to the terrorists’ ability to escape, the air component platforms tracked fleeing terrorists on motorcycles and conducted additional successful strikes against them,” he added.
Blueprint reports that information from local sources indicate that the operations resulted in a significant number of terrorist casualties, including the fatal injuries of notorious kingpins Manore and Dogo Nahalle.
In addition, the operation dismantled several terrorist camps located within the high ground, thus crippling the terrorists’ operational capabilities.
“Prior to these military operations, communities surrounding Maidabino, Yantumaki, Mara and other parts of Danmusa and Safana LGAs had been under persistent threat from the terrorists, leading to mass displacements among local residents,” Abubakar further contended.