Troops of Operation Fansan Yanma have successfully neutralised 12 terrorists conducting a fighting patrol in Maigora village, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The terrorists, it was gathered, were neutralized on Friday when the armed bandits stormed the village around 12:30 p.m.
However, troops in the vicinity swiftly responded, engaging the attackers in a firefight that forced them to withdraw into nearby bushes.
According to Zagazola Makama, In the initial encounter, troops neutralised five bandits and seized two motorcycles.
During a follow-up operation, the fleeing bandits regrouped and launched a counterattack on the troops, who decisively repelled them and pursued them into the hills.
The security forces then engaged the retreating bandits with mortar fire, killing seven more and scattering the remaining fighters.
Further exploitation of the area led to the capture of seven additional motorcycles belonging to the terrorists.
Battle damaged assessments indicated that a key bandit leader, identified as Malum, sustained gunshot wounds during the engagement.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that at least 12 bandits were buried on Friday evening, including a senior commander known as Dogo, who was neutralized during the operation.
Security operatives have maintained dominance in the area to prevent any further incursion by the bandits.
