Troops of 17 Brigade Strike Group and Quick Response Force alongside elements of 8 Division Special Forces during a well-coordinated clearance mission targeting terrorist strongholds in and around Tuga, within Matazu Local Government Area have rescued kidnapped victims and dismantled criminal enclaves in Katsina.
Leveraging real-time Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance support, complemented by precision strikes from the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, troops during Operation Clean Sweep cleared several settlements.
In a statement issued Friday, during the operation, troops recovered a large number of rustled livestock believed to have been stolen by terrorists, including 36 cattle, 280 sheep and two donkeys.
It said: “This recovery represents a major disruption to the economic lifelines of the criminal groups, whose activities are largely sustained through cattle rustling and related illicit enterprises.
“Sustaining the operational momentum, troops advanced further into the notorious Fafu Forest, applying the Relentless Incursion strategy aimed at denying terrorists safe havens.
“Following coordinated aerial and artillery bombardments on identified targets, troops converged within the objective area, engaging and destroying several terrorist camps and concealed hideouts embedded within difficult terrain.
“In the course of exploitation, the troops uncovered a hideout linked to a notorious terrorist leader, where kidnapped victims were being held under harsh conditions.
“Two lifeless bodies were recovered at the site, while one victim, identified as Nura Yar’Adua, was found in chains and successfully rescued.”
It explained that Yaa’Adua was immediately given first aid before being evacuated to the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina for advanced medical care.
The army added that further assessments confirmed the effectiveness of the operation, with terrorist logistics structures destroyed and clear signs of enemy casualties observed within the targeted locations, indicating a significant degradation of their operational capability.