Troops under Operation Peace Shield and Operation Zafin Wuta have cleared several notorious bandit hideouts across parts of Southern Taraba, destroying two major camps and forcing the fleeing fighters into neighbouring Benue State, according to military sources.
Intelligence obtained by Zagazola revealed that the joint operation—conducted by troops of the 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, and Sector 3, Operation Whirl Stroke—targeted long-established bandit enclaves around Shiid village, Tor-Tser general area, Likam Mountain, Agia village, and Tyozua village in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State
The offensive, launched around 0207 hours on December 7, followed credible reports of the presence and movements of bandit groups who had been using the rugged mountainous terrain as a safe haven.
According to the sources, troops advanced in two coordinated teams. Team A established a blocking position at Tor-Tser to cut off escape routes, while Team B, the assault team, pushed through Shiid village towards the Likam Mountain axis.
“On sighting the approaching troops, the bandits fled deeper into the mountain range, abandoning two major camps. The camps were thoroughly searched, cleared and subsequently destroyed,” one of the sources said..
It was further gathered that the fleeing fighters had previously bragged that security forces would never access their strongholds hidden within the rocky, forested mountain belt—an assumption proven wrong by the latest operation.
