Troops of the Nigerian Army have engaged suspected Lakurawa terrorist elements in Kebbi State, repelling the group and recovering a cache of high-calibre weapons and improvised explosive devices following a fierce firefight in Dandi Local Government Area.

The operation was carried out on Sunday, June 14, 2026, by troops of Sector 2, Operation Fansan Yamma, under the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army. According to a statement released on Monday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 8 Division and Sector 2, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, the offensive was targeted at flushing out terrorist elements and criminal networks operating across the North-West region.

The troops moved against suspected hideouts around the Dogon Daji general area in Dandi Local Government Area, where they made contact with the terrorists and a firefight ensued.

The military said its troops brought superior firepower to bear on the Lakurawa Terrorist Group during the engagement, decisively overwhelming the assailants and forcing them to abandon their positions and flee the area.

Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing suspects and conducted exploitation operations across the surrounding terrain to consolidate the gains of the assault.

Items recovered following the encounter included rocket-propelled grenade launch tubes, rocket-propelled grenades, several improvised explosive devices, two motorcycles, a charger and other personal belongings allegedly abandoned by the terrorists in their haste to escape. Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who first reported the incident on his X handle, also noted that one rocket-propelled grenade tube and three explosive devices were among the recovered items.

The Lakurawa group has emerged as one of the most active and dangerous terrorist factions operating in Nigeria’s North-West, with the military ramping up operations against the group across Kebbi and neighbouring states in recent months.

The latest engagement is consistent with a pattern of sustained offensive operations under Operation Fansan Yamma, which has recorded a series of successes in the region, including the overrunning of terrorist hideouts in Kebbi’s Shanga Local Government Area in May. The Army reaffirmed its commitment to ridding the North-West of terrorism and criminal activity.