The Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, has commenced a fresh offensive against terrorist and armed criminal groups operating across the region.
Key Highlights
- Fresh military offensive launched: Operation FANSAN YAMMA has commenced Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV against terrorist and armed criminal groups across the North-West.
- Ground and air operations: The offensive combines coordinated troop movements and precision air strikes to disrupt terrorist networks and logistics.
- Dutsinma clearance operation: Troops conducted a clearance operation around suspected terrorist enclaves in Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State, forcing terrorists to flee into surrounding bushes.
- Air strikes in Zamfara: Military aircraft carried out precision strikes on suspected terrorists riding motorcycles in Anka LGA, reportedly neutralising scores of them.
- Fleeing terrorists tracked: The Air Component reportedly tracked and engaged some terrorists who escaped from the strike area.
The latest operation, code-named Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV, combines coordinated ground and air operations aimed at disrupting terrorist networks, cutting off their logistics and movements, and preventing them from establishing new bases in vulnerable communities.
The Theatre Command’s Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
According to Danja, the operation is being conducted simultaneously across identified areas of concern in the North-West, with troops and air assets deployed against terrorist positions and movements.
He said the offensive is focused on weakening the operational capacity of terrorist groups, disrupting their supply chains and restricting their freedom of movement.
The military also aims to prevent terrorist elements from regrouping, reinforcing their positions or expanding into communities that have not previously been affected by their activities.
As part of the operation, troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, conducted a clearance operation around suspected terrorist enclaves in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State on Wednesday, August 12.
The Theatre Command said the operation put the terrorists under significant pressure, forcing them to abandon their positions and retreat into surrounding bushes.
It added that the clearance operation remained ongoing as troops continued efforts to track the fleeing terrorists.
In Zamfara State, the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA carried out precision air strikes following intelligence on the movement and convergence of suspected terrorists riding motorcycles in Anka Local Government Area.
According to the military, the strikes neutralised scores of terrorists and forced others to abandon their motorcycles and escape into nearby bushes.
The air component subsequently tracked and engaged some of the fleeing elements, the Theatre Command said.
The military described the operation as part of its broader intelligence-driven approach, combining air power with ground operations to disrupt terrorist activities before the groups can consolidate their positions.
Another major focus of Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV is the Lakurawa terrorist network, which the military said it intends to prevent from establishing stronger operational structures within Nigeria.
The Theatre Command said security forces would work to deny Lakurawa elements the opportunity to exploit border areas as routes for movement, logistics and reinforcement.
It also said efforts would be intensified to prevent terrorist groups from establishing permanent or temporary enclaves from which they could launch attacks on surrounding communities.
The offensive will also target terrorist activities around the River Niger axis and Kainji Lake National Park, according to the military.
The Theatre Command said the areas are being monitored to prevent terrorist elements from taking advantage of difficult terrain and remote locations to establish bases and project violence into neighbouring communities and other parts of the North-West.
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The launch of Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV signals a renewed effort by the military to sustain pressure on terrorist and criminal networks operating across the region.
Danja said the operation would remain proactive as security forces respond to changing threats and work to prevent terrorists from exploiting vulnerabilities within the country’s security architecture.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to protecting civilian communities, safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and denying terrorist groups the opportunity to regroup, reinforce their ranks or establish new operational bases.
The latest offensive comes amid continuing military operations against terrorist and armed criminal groups in parts of the North-West, where communities have faced threats including attacks, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime.
Danja said Operation FANSAN YAMMA remained committed to its mandate of protecting civilians, securing Nigeria’s territorial integrity and dismantling terrorist networks operating across the region.
