By Ayo Kehinde
Six security personnel, including five soldiers and one police officer, have been killed in a deadly ambush on troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY) along the Bingi–Kekun Waje–Gusau Road in Zamfara State.
The incident occurred on Monday, January 19, 2026, as Combat Team 1 was returning from a clearance operation and responding to a distress call regarding a reprisal attack by terrorists.
Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the Media Information Officer for Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Capt. David Adewusi, explained that the troops were caught in a surprise ambush at Gidan Wagni while en route to Kekun Waje.
Despite the heavy fire, the personnel fought back gallantly, a move that security officials say prevented the attackers from descending on nearby vulnerable communities.
The ambush followed a series of coordinated offensive operations carried out between January 17 and 19 by Sector 2 OPFY, in collaboration with the Mobile Strike Team and DIA Tactical Support Team.
Those earlier operations across the Birnin Magaji and Anka areas led to the arrest of three suspects—identified as Kwakwatawa, Ibrahim Dan Musulu, and Makau Lamba Goma—and the neutralization of four terrorists.
Recovered items from the hideouts included a PKT machine gun, five AK-47 rifles, Baofeng radios, and several rounds of ammunition.
Following the fatal ambush, reinforcements from the 1 Brigade Quick Reaction Force and the OPFY Mobile Strike Team were swiftly deployed. The combined forces, personally led by the Commander of 1 Brigade, mounted a counter-attack that forced the terrorists to retreat deep into the forest.
Security sources indicate that notorious bandit kingpin Janwuya and Alhaji Bello, a deputy to Kachalla Soja, sustained serious injuries during the encounter.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA assured residents that the situation is currently under control, with pursuit operations ongoing.
The Theatre Commander expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and commended the fallen heroes for their supreme sacrifice in the defense of the nation.
He urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information to help dismantle remaining terrorist networks in the North West.
