Army clears terrorists’ hideouts, rescues hostages in Taraba
Attempt by terrorists to attack the headquarters of Danmusa Local Council of Katsina State was repelled by security operatives, yesterday.
This was even as terrorists abducted four persons in their farms at Nahuta village in Batsari Local Council.
Meanwhile, troops of the 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have cleared a terrorists’ camp in Taraba State and rescued hostages.
According to reports from Katsina, the attempted attack took place on Monday evening when gun-toting terrorists tried to force their way into the area.
The Guardian gathered that the terrorists were out on a revenge mission, as a recent security operation had led to the destruction of their hideouts in a forest close to the council area.
Many of their gang members were also reportedly killed during the operation, with an undisclosed number of abducted persons rescued by security operatives.
Hardly had the terrorists reached the outskirts of the town when the police, vigilantes, and state government-created Community Watch Corps (CWC) engaged them in gunfire exchange.
A source from the area said the gun duel lasted more than 40 minutes, and that the casualty figure remained unclear.
However, the abduction of the four farmers reportedly occurred on Sunday morning, when the victims had gone to clear their farmlands for the rainy season farming.
Unconfirmed reports had it that one of the victims’ family members had been contacted by the terrorists and demanded ransom.
At the time of this report, spokesperson for the police command in the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, had yet to respond to inquiries on both incidents.
ACCORDING to an announcement, yesterday, via the army’s official communication channel, during the operation in Taraba, the troops recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the terrorists, emphasising the mission’s objective of eliminating the threat posed by these militants, who seek to instigate fear and chaos in the state.
Responding to reports of suspected terrorists firing sporadically in the Pukun area of Fikyu in Ussa Local Council, troops from the 93 Battalion Sub-Sector 3B OPWS, stationed at Fikyu, according to the army X handle, swiftly engaged the assailants with superior firepower, forcing them to retreat.
It stated that a subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of one AK-47 magazine with 10 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
In another coordinated effort, troops deployed to Kufai Amadu and Kasuwan Haske, in collaboration with troops from Sub-Sector 1A OPWS, acting on intelligence, discovered a terrorists’ hideout in Vingir Village of Katsina-Ala Local Council, Benue State. They engaged the terrorists, leading to their withdrawal in disarray.
During the operation, the troops reportedly apprehended a suspected kidnapper named Dogo Manu, who was found in possession of incriminating items, including two Tecno mobile phones and N40,000.