Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have launched a major offensive operation against terrorists and bandits operating in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, recording early successes with the destruction of several criminal hideouts and logistics bases.
The operation, codenamed Operation CLEAN SWEEP III, commenced on June 14, 2026, following the abduction of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife by suspected terrorists in the area. The retired senior military officer later died while in captivity.
In a statement, Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA Lieut. Col. Aliyu Danja said the offensive is aimed at locating and neutralising those responsible for the attack, dismantling criminal networks, and restoring security across affected communities.
Since the start of the operation, troops have carried out aggressive fighting patrols, intelligence-driven raids, cordon-and-search missions, and clearance operations across identified terrorist enclaves and criminal hideouts within the Joint Operations Area.
Military authorities disclosed that significant gains were recorded in the Dikkawa Hills axis and neighbouring communities. Troops conducted clearance operations in the Adua, Nasarawa, and Karaduwa areas, where several suspected terrorist camps were searched and dismantled.
During the operations, security forces reportedly discovered and destroyed a number of terrorists’ life-support facilities and logistics bases, a development the military said would further weaken the operational capabilities of criminal elements in the area.
The operation is being executed in collaboration with other security agencies, sister services, and local stakeholders whose support, according to the military, has been instrumental in ongoing efforts to improve security across the state.
The Theatre Command of Operation FANSAN YAMMA reassured residents of Matazu and surrounding communities of its commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens and denying terrorists and bandits freedom of movement within the region.
The military also urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely intelligence that could assist security agencies in tracking and apprehending criminal elements, assuring that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
It added that troops would sustain pressure on terrorist and bandit groups until all operational objectives are achieved and security is fully restored in the affected areas.
