The Nigerian military has stepped up its counter-insurgency campaign in the country’s north-west, killing 23 terrorists and rescuing 26 hostages in Katsina State as part of Operation Fasan Yamma.
Military sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that troops engaged armed groups in Pauwa village, Kankara Local Government Area, on Saturday. Backed by air power and artillery, they eliminated dozens of fighters and freed women and children held captive.
Confiscated motorcycles, machinery, and food supplies were destroyed to disrupt militant logistics.
The operation forms part of a wider campaign. In Borno State, four relatives of ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters surrendered to the army, while a suspected logistics courier was arrested in Kukawa carrying cash and communication devices. Five more suspects linked to theft and narcotics were detained in Adamawa.
Elsewhere, troops rescued three additional kidnap victims in Katsina, and three men accused of phone snatching in the Federal Capital Territory were taken into custody. Security forces also mediated in a farmer-herder clash in Plateau State to prevent further violence.
Launched in late 2024, Operation Fasan Yamma — which translates as “Salvage the West” — was created by merging earlier missions, including Operation Hadarin Daji and Whirl Punch. The strategy is intended to unify military efforts against armed groups across the north-western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger.
Military commanders have pledged to maintain pressure on insurgents and criminal networks, urging the public to support the campaign with credible intelligence.
