Troops Foil Terrorist Attack on FOB Kasuwan Daji, Rescue 9 Abductees
Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have successfully repelled an attempted terrorist infiltration of their Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Kasuwan Daji in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and rescuing nine abducted civilians.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, the attack occurred at approximately 1:40 a.m. on August 2, 2026, when the terrorists attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to breach the military facility. Alert troops detected the hostile movement in good time and responded with coordinated, overwhelming firepower, forcing the attackers to abandon their mission and retreat in disarray after suffering heavy losses.
Following the initial engagement, military reinforcements arrived at the scene and immediately launched a hot pursuit of the fleeing terrorists, who had abducted an unspecified number of residents from surrounding communities during the assault. The relentless pursuit yielded results, with troops successfully rescuing nine of the abducted locals and safely reuniting them with security personnel. Military authorities said efforts remain ongoing to locate and free any other persons who may still be held.
The firefight, however, came at a cost. The operation claimed the lives of one Nigerian Army officer and one Police officer who were defending the base, while two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter. The injured personnel were promptly evacuated by air for advanced medical treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.
Lieutenant Colonel Osoba used the statement to directly dismiss separate reports circulating on social media claiming that six security personnel had been killed during the attack, describing that figure as false and reiterating that only one Army officer and one Police officer lost their lives in the engagement. Some local reports had earlier suggested a higher casualty and abduction toll, with claims that dozens of residents were taken and that the community itself came under sustained attack, though the Army’s official account has not confirmed those broader figures.
Colonel Osoba said troops have since taken full control of the area and are conducting exploitation operations to determine the full extent of the losses suffered by the terrorists. He added that the successful defence of FOB Kasuwan Daji represents another setback for terrorist elements operating in the North-West, coming amid intensified military operations against armed groups across the theatre.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed that Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains committed to sustaining offensive operations against terrorist networks in the region, protecting civilians, and restoring lasting peace and security across Zamfara State and the wider North-West, an area that has continued to grapple with persistent banditry and terrorist activity in recent years.
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