Troops from Sector 2 of Operation Fansan Yamma have rescued 18 kidnapped victims and arrested two suspected foreign members of the Lakurawa militant group during operations across Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria.
The operations, conducted on Monday, 10 August 2026, were carried out in response to intelligence reports and emergency calls regarding militant activities in the region.
In Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, troops responded to reports of armed men near Sabon Gari village. Following a brief confrontation, soldiers rescued 18 abducted civilians, including a resident, Aminu Dayau, and his children. The assailants retreated across a nearby river with additional hostages, with military forces continuing search operations in the area.
In a separate intelligence-led operation in the Zurmi general area, troops arrested two suspected Lakurawa operatives, identified as Abdul Rahman Bouye and Mohammed Jamilu, both citizens of the Niger Republic.
Military officials allege the suspects provided logistical support and technical assistance for laying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along key transit routes. Identification cards, master keys, and other items were recovered from the men, who remain in military custody ahead of transfer to security agencies for interrogation.
Elsewhere in the state, troops operating from Forward Operating Base Faru repelled an ambush in Maradun Local Government Area while tracking rustled cattle. Soldiers engaged the group with heavy gunfire, forcing them to withdraw. Minor damage was sustained to a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle from rocket-propelled grenade fragments, with no military casualties reported.
In Tsafe Local Government Area, troops responding to a distress call forced an armed group to flee toward neighbouring Katsina State. A follow-up investigation revealed that three residents—one man and two women—had been abducted before the soldiers’ arrival. Pursuit operations are ongoing.
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