Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have neutralised at least 10 terrorists in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas of Plateau State. It also disrupted the logistics network of the armed group.
The coordinated clearance operation, carried out on Thursday in Daba and Seri villages in the two council areas, led to the rescue of several kidnap victims and the recovery of weapons.
The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Oteh, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday.
The statement read: “In a decisive blow against terrorist elements operating on the Plateau, troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE, in conjunction with local vigilante groups, successfully neutralized a significant number of terrorists during a coordinated clearance operation across Daba and Seri villages in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
“The operation, conducted as part of ongoing offensive clearance operations codenamed Operation WUTAN DAJI, underscores the military’s unwavering commitment to restoring security along identified terrorists’ corridors.
“Accordingly, at about 08:30am, 9 April 2026, troops established strategic blocking positions between Dutsen Zaki and the Odare Forest. During the operation, a large group of terrorists mounted on motorcycles were sighted moving along a known transit route, troops swiftly and decisively engaged the criminals with superior and well-coordinated volume of fire.
“Despite initial resistance, the terrorists were overwhelmed with superior firepower leading to the neutralization of 10 terrorists while some fled in disarray into the surrounding forest, leaving behind a trail of casualties.”
The statement further noted that following “a report of an isolated attack on commuters along road Razat and Kafi Abu axis, the gallant troops initiated a swift and comprehensive offensive targeting the criminal elements responsible for the disturbance.”
Oteh added that “upon the initial encounter, the perpetrators withdrew into the surrounding hinterlands, prompting an immediate pursuit by security forces.”
“Troops conducted rigorous cordon and search operations across Suma Suga and Takwok villages, as well as the adjacent mountainous terrain,” which “yielded significant recoveries of lethal hardware and intelligence materials abandoned by the fleeing terrorist elements.”
Items recovered included three AK-47 rifles, three AK-47 magazines and eight rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two motorcycles and five 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit intended for the terrorists’ logistics.
Also Read: Troops neutralize three bandits, arrest two in Plateau
The troops also recovered a National Identity Card and a photograph belonging to the suspects, providing valuable leads to ongoing investigations.
The media officer stated that “this successful engagement marks a significant step in degrading the operational capacity of armed groups within the region.
“Troops are on high alert and are currently in pursuit of the fleeing terrorists and their collaborators. Operation ENDURING PEACE will continue to intensify the ongoing clearance operations as troops dominates [sic, various identified flashpoints in order to guarantee the safety of lives and property of citizens.”
Residents of Wase and Kanam separately expressed satisfaction with the operation.
“We are pleased with this development,” Jamilu Suleiman, a resident of Wase, said.
Another indigene of the area, Garba Suleman, who confirmed the operation, said several bandits were killed during the raid.
He commended the troops for sustaining security operations in the area.
“Kanam and Wase had been terrorized by bandits for a long time,” Suleman said. “Now people in the communities can go about their normal activities without fear.”
Our Correspondent reports that for several years, communities in Kanam and Wase Local Government Areas have endured persistent attacks involving kidnappings, killings, cattle rustling and destruction of property.
Suleman said residents had been living in constant fear as armed groups operated from hideouts in surrounding forests, ambushing travelers, farmers and even security patrols.
“Many families have lost loved ones or paid huge ransoms to secure the release of abducted relatives,” he said.
“Others abandoned their homes and farmlands, leading to displacement and economic hardship.”
He added that the sustained attacks disrupted daily life, forced schools and markets to close intermittently and created a climate of insecurity that hampered agricultural and commercial activities in the once-peaceful border communities linking Plateau with neighboring states.
“We are indeed happy with what the troops have done. We have suffered untold hardship in the hands of these terrorists.
“We hope that the onslaught against them will be sustained so that our communities will bounce back to life again,” Suleiman Wasiu, another resident of Kanam, added.
Our Correspondent reports that the latest operation in Wase and Kanam communities comes amid a surge in terrorist activities across parts of Plateau State in recent months.
Wase and Kanam LGAs have been flashpoints, with armed groups using motorcycles to launch hit-and-run attacks on rural communities and commuter routes.
Earlier in the week, gunmen killed eight persons, mostly from one family, during a night attack on Mbwelle village in Bokkos LGA.
In late March and early April, the University of Jos confirmed that two students were killed, and three others injured in separate attacks linked to violence in Jos and along Bauchi Road.
Security forces have intensified patrols and clearance operations under Operation ENDURING PEACE, targeting known transit routes and hideouts in forests bordering Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba States.
The military says the corridors are frequently used by terrorists to move arms, fuel and supplies between cells.
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