Troops of the Nigerian Army, operating under Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, have foiled a planned terrorist attack on Mwar community in Chakfem Kingdom, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State in Northcentral Nigeria following intelligence.
The operation, the Army said in a statement, was conducted on August 19, was launched after the military received credible human intelligence indicating a looming attack on the community.
This comes barely hours after terrorists killed over 20 persons and wounded many during a raid on Binper community, also in Mangu Local Government Area.
The troops consequently deployed for a fighting patrol and raid of suspected locations, with the aim of recovering the cattle and apprehending those allegedly responsible.
The Army said troops deployed drones and other surveillance assets to conduct extensive reconnaissance of surrounding settlements and bush areas in search of the missing cattle.
Although the search did not yield any trace of the cattle, intelligence gathered during the operation reportedly identified Pantong Stanley and other youths as suspected perpetrators.
Troops subsequently carried out a snap raid on Stanley’s residence, but he was not present when the operation was conducted.
The operation, however, led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated revolver rifle, two Dane guns and 15 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The Army said troops, in collaboration with the police and other security agencies, had intensified targeted searches around the locations of other identified suspects.
The Operation Enduring Peace authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with credible information on suspicious activities.