Troops foil terrorist attack on Benue yam market, neutralise two suspected terrorists

Troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS), in collaboration with operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard, have foiled an attack on the Tor Donga Yam Market, killing two suspected terrorists and recovering weapons and ammunition.

The operation was disclosed on Sunday by counter-insurgency and security analyst Zagazola Makama in a post shared on X.

According to Makama, the troops responded to a distress call while conducting fighting and confidence-building patrols around the market.

He said the security personnel engaged the suspected terrorists in a gun battle immediately after arriving at the scene.

During the exchange of fire, two suspected terrorists identified as Dantaraba and Golozo were neutralised, while several others reportedly fled with varying degrees of injuries.

Items recovered during the operation included one AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine, one damaged pistol, one pistol magazine, six rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, nine rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition, one ATM card, one Moniepoint ATM card and other items.

Makama said the swift response by the troops prevented what could have been a deadly attack on traders and residents at the popular Tor Donga Yam Market.

“The successful operation also ensured that traders and residents continued their activities without fear of terrorist attacks,” he added.