Troops of the Joint Task Force North West under Operation Fansan Yamma say they killed two suspected terrorists during an encounter in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The operation followed intelligence about the movement of armed men allegedly transporting large numbers of rustled cattle through the Maikujera area.
According to the military, troops from Sector 2 moved to intercept the group and were ambushed while advancing toward the location.
The soldiers responded and engaged the attackers.
The Joint Task Force said two suspected terrorists were killed while others escaped into surrounding vegetation.
Those battlefield casualty figures were provided by the military and were not independently verified in the source material.
A follow up search of the area reportedly led to the recovery of two AK 47 rifles and three motorcycles.
The military said the cattle dispersed during the firefight.
Troops and local vigilantes were continuing efforts to recover the livestock.
Operation Fansan Yamma said the area had returned to relative calm while troops maintained patrols.
The command urged residents to continue providing timely information about suspicious movements.
Operation Fansan Yamma was established to target terrorist and bandit networks across parts of the North West.
Forests in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina have been repeatedly identified by security agencies as operating areas for armed groups involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and attacks on communities.
The military said it would continue operations intended to restrict the movement and logistics of those groups.
