Troops conducting Operation Fansan Yanma launched a major offensive against bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Saturday, killing 65 fighters linked to notorious bandit leader Ado Alero. The operation targeted Alero's camp in Munhaye village behind Kunchin Kalgo, beginning around 6:00 p.m. and lasting over seven hours. Precision airstrikes supported ground troops in overwhelming the fighters, who were led by Alero's son, Kachalla Iliya Sarki, also killed in the clash. Security sources confirmed the deaths of key lieutenants Dogo Sule and Iliya Mai Rasha, with seven vigilantes also losing their lives during the encounter. Alero reportedly fled to Yankuzu town after the attack.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert, cited credible security sources confirming the scale of the operation. Kachalla Iliya Sarki had recently returned from a cattle rustling raid in Kano State, illustrating the network's wide reach. The Nigerian Army separately rescued 31 worshippers abducted after an attack on Ariko village in Kaduna State following an Easter service. Five victims were killed in that incident, with the Army recovering their bodies. In Benue State, suspected armed herdsmen killed at least 17 people in Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area, on Sunday, destroying homes and displacing thousands.
The death of Kachalla Iliya Sarki, a central figure in Ado Alero's network, disrupts a key command chain behind recent attacks across three northern states. While the military gains ground in Zamfara, the simultaneous attacks in Kaduna and Benue reveal persistent gaps in protecting civilians during high-risk periods. The scale of the Easter violence suggests that tactical wins against bandits have not yet translated into broader security for rural communities.
