Troops under Operation ENDURING PEACE have killed no fewer than 10 terrorists in Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
The operation also crippled the supply chain of the armed group.
The coordinated clearance mission, carried out on Thursday in Daba and Seri villages across the two LGAs, also led to the rescue of several kidnapped victims and the recovery of weapons.
The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Oteh, confirmed the development in a statement issued 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 neutralised 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 neutralisation of 10 terrorists while some fled in disarray into the surrounding forest, leaving behind a trail of casualties.”
The statement further explained 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 include three AK-47 rifles, three AK-47 magazines, eight rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two motorcycles, and five 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit intended for the group’s logistics.
Troops also recovered a National Identity Card and a photograph linked to the suspects, providing useful leads for ongoing investigations.
The media officer noted 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 expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the operation.
“We are pleased with this development,” said Jamilu Suleiman, a resident of Wase.
Another resident, Garba Suleman, also confirmed the operation, stating that several bandits were killed during the raid while commending the military for sustained efforts in restoring security.
“Kanam and Wase had been terrorised by bandits for a long time,” Suleman said. “Now people in the communities can go about their normal activities without fear.”
Reports indicate that communities in the affected LGAs have faced years of attacks involving abductions, killings, cattle rustling, and destruction of property.
Suleman added that many residents had lived in constant fear as armed groups operated from forest hideouts, attacking travellers, farmers, and even security patrol teams.
“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 further noted that the persistent attacks disrupted daily activities, forced intermittent closure of schools and markets, and created widespread insecurity that hindered farming and commercial activities in the communities linking Plateau with neighbouring 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.
The latest operation comes amid a rise in terrorist attacks in parts of Plateau State in recent months.
Wase and Kanam LGAs have remained major hotspots, with armed groups frequently using motorcycles to carry out attacks on rural communities and commuters.
Earlier in the week, gunmen reportedly killed eight people, 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 incidents linked to violence in Jos and along Bauchi Road.
Security forces have since intensified patrols and clearance operations under Operation ENDURING PEACE, targeting known routes and forest hideouts across Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba States.
According to the military, these corridors are often used by terrorists to transport arms, fuel, and other supplies between their cells.
