The Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY), has intensified offensive operations against terrorists and armed criminal networks across the North West with the launch of Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV.
According to an official statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the new offensive is designed to bring coordinated ground and air operations against identified threats, degrade terrorist capabilities and disrupt their movements, logistics and networks across the region.
The operation also seeks to prevent the infiltration and expansion of terrorist activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to establish operational footholds within Nigerian communities.
Already, troops and air assets have commenced intensified operations in parts of Katsina and Zamfara States.
In Katsina State, troops of Sector 2 conducted a clearance operation on August 12, 2026, around suspected terrorist enclaves in Dutsinma Local Government Area.
The offensive reportedly mounted significant pressure on the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their positions and withdraw into surrounding bushes, while clearance operations continued in the general area.
In Zamfara State, credible intelligence on the movement and convergence of terrorists on motorcycles in Anka Local Government Area led the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to conduct precision strikes against the terrorists.
The strikes neutralised scores of terrorists and forced surviving elements to abandon their motorcycles and flee into surrounding bushes.
The air asset subsequently acquired and engaged the remaining terrorists, further disrupting their activities in the area.
A major component of Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV is the deliberate effort to contain and dismantle the Lakurawa terrorist network across the Theatre.
The operation is aimed at preventing the infiltration and reinforcement of Lakurawa elements into Nigeria and denying the group the opportunity to exploit border areas as corridors for movement, logistics and the establishment of terrorist enclaves.
The offensive is also targeting terrorist activities around the River Niger axis and the Kainji Lake National Park, with the objective of preventing terrorist elements from using the areas as platforms to project violence into adjoining communities and other parts of the North West.
The Theatre Command said the launch of Operation CLEAN SWEEP IV demonstrated the sustained and proactive posture of Operation FANSAN YAMMA in responding to evolving terrorist threats across the region.
It reaffirmed the Joint Task Force’s commitment to protecting civilian communities, securing Nigeria’s territorial integrity and denying terrorist elements the opportunity to regroup, reinforce or establish operational footholds across the North West.
