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Sokoto: Terrorists flee as troops overrun forest hideouts, seize weapons

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TERRORISTS operating in parts of Sokoto State have suffered another major setback as troops of the Nigerian Army’s COAS Special Intervention Battalion 7, Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, dislodged their positions and recovered high-calibre weapons, ammunition and motorcycles during a clearance operation in Tangaza Local Government Area.

The operation was part of the ongoing offensive campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves, restricting the movement of criminal elements and restoring security across communities in the North-West.

The troops advanced into identified terrorist threat areas, including Manu, Alkasim and Kandam villages, as well as the Magarya forest axis, where intelligence indicated the presence of armed terrorists.

The operation reached a decisive point when the troops encountered the terrorists inside the Magarya forest enclave and engaged them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deep into the forest.

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A military source said the troops subsequently conducted an aggressive follow-up operation and thoroughly searched the area, recovering a cache of weapons, ammunition and mobility assets.

The recovered items include a PKT machine gun, AK-47 rifles, a large quantity of 7.62 x 54mm belted ammunition, motorcycles and other logistical materials believed to have been used by the terrorists.
The source said the recovery of the PKT machine gun and large quantity of ammunition was significant, given the firepower such weapons could provide during attacks on security personnel and civilian communities.

The recovered motorcycles were also believed to have been used by the terrorists to move through difficult forest terrain and remote settlements.The military warned terrorists and their collaborators that security forces would continue to pursue them until their operational networks were dismantled.

The troops, the source said, have maintained a strong operational presence in the area through sustained patrols and follow-up operations aimed at preventing the terrorists from regrouping or returning to the cleared enclaves.

The development comes amid intensified military operations across the North-West to deny armed criminal groups the capacity to attack, abduct civilians and terrorise communities.

The military authorities also urged terrorists still operating in the area to abandon their criminal activities, stressing that the ongoing offensive would leave them with no safe haven, while assuring residents of continued efforts to secure their communities.
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