Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have intercepted a suspected arms and explosives courier carrying 180 units of 20mm Super Power explosives in Zamfara State.
The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Sani Umar, was arrested on Friday during routine snap checks on vehicles conducted by troops of Sector 2.
According to the Nigerian Army, Umar was allegedly transporting the explosives from Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara to suspected terrorist elements operating in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, said a search of the suspect’s vehicle led to the recovery of the explosives.
“The suspect, vehicle and recovered explosives are currently in custody for further investigation,” the military said.
The interception occurred as troops carried out simultaneous offensive operations against suspected terrorists in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara.
The Army said troops engaged terrorists around Garin Kaso in a firefight, killing two suspected terrorists and recovering two rifles, two magazines, nine rounds of ammunition and two motorcycles.
According to the statement, another group of terrorists later attempted to ambush the troops from concealed positions but were repelled.
The military said the troops inflicted further casualties on the group, forcing the surviving terrorists to flee the area.
The number of casualties recorded in the second encounter could not immediately be independently verified. However, the Army said community reports indicated that several wounded terrorists and the bodies of some of those killed were evacuated by the fleeing group.
The military said the operations demonstrated the continued offensive posture of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, which is targeting both terrorist enclaves and the logistics networks used to supply them with weapons and explosives.
The Theatre Command said troops would sustain offensive operations aimed at disrupting terrorist activities and denying “terrorists and other criminal elements freedom of action across the North West”.
