Troops of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE (JTF OPHK) have dislodged a notorious armed syndicate in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, recovering a cache of ammunition and logistics items during a targeted raid.
OPHK’s Acting Media Information Officer, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu, disclosed on Sunday that the troops, acting on credible intelligence about a wanted bandit leader operating from Mtan Village in Utange Council Ward, Sector 1, advanced to the hideout and engaged the criminals in a fierce gun battle.
The suspects fled under pressure, abandoning weapons and other items.
Recovered during the operation were two motorcycles, eight magazines, 162 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm special ammunition, 10 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammunition, 44 rounds of 9mm ammunition, links of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, and seven empty NATO cartridge casings. A red Toyota vehicle found at the scene was demobilised to prevent further criminal use.
The Force Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE, Major General Moses Gara, commended the intelligence team and troops for their professionalism and tactical efficiency, even as he urged residents to sustain cooperation with security agencies, stressing that timely information remains vital to defeating terrorism and criminality in the region.
