Over 60 Suspected Bandits Found Dead After NAF Airstrikes and Ground Assault in Zamfara
Troops attached to Operation FANSAR YANMA have discovered the bodies of more than 60 suspected armed bandits in Zamfara State, following a coordinated and deadly airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), supported by a follow-up mop-up operation carried out by ground forces.
The significant development was shared by well-known security analyst Zagazola Makama through a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account. According to Makama’s report, the mass grave of deceased insurgents was located on Monday afternoon in the Matseri area of Anka Local Government Area (LGA). The discovery was made by personnel of the 1 Brigade and 8 Division Sector 2, who were conducting search operations in the aftermath of the strikes.
The air raids by NAF were said to be part of a well-coordinated joint operation targeting a large gathering of heavily armed terrorists — reportedly over 400 in number — who had assembled in the Makakkari Forest, a known criminal hideout that stretches across the Anka and Bukuyum Local Government Areas of Zamfara.
Among the insurgents targeted in the offensive were several notorious terror kingpins, whose identities have not yet been officially disclosed. Intelligence reports had indicated that these militants were plotting a large-scale retaliatory assault following previous defeats in encounters with security forces. The joint offensive, therefore, aimed to neutralize the threat before it could escalate.
Dozens Killed, More Injured as Bandits Attempt to Flee
According to field reports, the precision airstrikes and supporting ground maneuvers neutralized more than 100 terrorists in total. In addition to the 60 bodies already recovered, many others are believed to have fled the scene with varying degrees of injuries, likely reducing their combat effectiveness for the foreseeable future.
Security sources also revealed that bandit reinforcements attempted to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades but were forcefully repelled by Nigerian troops using heavy artillery fire. These efforts by the terrorists were thwarted effectively, leaving the scene under full control of government forces.
Security Forces Continue Operations to Prevent Regrouping
Military authorities have confirmed that clearance and patrol operations are still ongoing in the affected forest areas. These actions are aimed at preventing any regrouping or resurgence by fleeing criminal elements, while simultaneously pursuing intelligence-led searches to locate any hidden arms caches or injured combatants in hiding.
This operation marks a significant success in the fight against banditry in the Northwest region of Nigeria, especially in Zamfara, which has long been plagued by violent attacks, mass abductions, and inter-group clashes involving heavily armed insurgents.
Security analysts say the strike will likely cause a major disruption to the operational capabilities of the terror networks in the area, and could delay any immediate counterattacks they had planned.
The Nigerian military has yet to release an official casualty figure, but local and intelligence sources indicate that this was one of the most effective offensives in recent months in terms of strategic impact and terrorist casualties.
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