Nigeria says its military forces successfully foiled a late-night terrorist attack on a military base in Zamfara State, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and rescuing nine abducted civilians.
The defence took place around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kasuwan Daji, within the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
According to military officials, troops deployed under Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA “detected hostile movement as the terrorists attempted to breach the facility under the cover of darkness.”
Alerted personnel responded with “coordinated, overwhelming firepower,” sparking an intense firefight that forced the attackers to abandon their mission and retreat in confusion.
Rescuing hostages
“Following the initial engagement, reinforcements arrived and troops launched a hot pursuit of the fleeing terrorists, who had abducted an unspecified number of residents from the surrounding community during the attack,” the military says in a statement.
Pursuit by the troops led to the rescue of 9 abducted locals, who were safely recovered, the statement adds.
The military also directly addressed online rumours claiming six security personnel had died in the attack, clarifying that “only one Army officer and a policeman paid the supreme price.”
Military authorities described the failed attack as “yet another significant operational setback for the terrorists,” noting that it capped a particularly costly weekend for armed groups.
