UPDATED: Zamfara Incident: Army Frees 48 Hostages Amid Heavy Gunfire, 1 Life Lost

Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 48 kidnapped civilians after repelling a terrorist attack on Magami Village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State in the early hours of Saturday, July 26, 2026.

‎The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

‎According to the statement, troops of Sector 2 responded to a distress call that a large group of terrorists, riding on about 40 motorcycles, had invaded Magami Village.

‎The statement said the terrorists rounded up dozens of residents with the intention of taking them into the bush, while another group remained on the outskirts with the motorcycles.

‎On arrival, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding bush. Consequently, all 48 abducted civilians were rescued unharmed.

‎However, one person was killed during the attack, while several others sustained gunshot wounds. The injured were evacuated to the General Hospital, Kaura Namoda, for treatment.

Advertisement

The Theatre Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the North-West. It also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to sustain ongoing efforts to eliminate terrorist elements from the region.