Troops of the Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA have launched a deliberate offensive operation, code-named Operation CLEAN SWEEP III, targeting terrorists and bandits in the Matazu Local Government Area and adjoining communities of Katsina State.
The commencement of the operation was confirmed in a statement released on Monday by Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Lt Col Danja noted that the ongoing crackdown has already yielded notable successes, with military forces successfully discovering and destroying several terrorist enclaves, life-support structures, and logistics bases.
According to the military, the offensive was launched following the tragic abduction and subsequent death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was seized alongside his wife by suspected terrorists in the area.
The high-stakes mission is specifically aimed at tracking down and neutralizing the perpetrators of the heinous act, dismantling criminal networks, and restoring lasting peace to the affected communities.
He said, since the deployment began on June 14, 2026, troops have maintained aggressive fighting patrols, intelligence-led raids, cordon-and-search operations, and thorough clearance missions across identified criminal enclaves. These efforts heavily concentrated on the Dikkawa Hills general area, as well as the Adua, Nasarawa, and Karaduwa areas, where the destruction of the terrorists’ logistics bases has significantly degraded their capacity to launch further attacks.
The Theatre Command emphasized that the operation is being executed in close collaboration with sister services, security agencies, and local stakeholders. While reassuring law-abiding citizens of their commitment to protecting lives and denying criminals freedom of action, the military urged members of the public to assist the operation by providing credible and timely information, promising that all intelligence will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
