Troops of the COAS Special Intervention Battalion IX under the Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS) have neutralised two suspected armed bandits and recovered an AK-47 rifle during a snap ambush along the Naka–Ahume–Makurdi Road in Benue State.
The operation, conducted on 26 January 2026, was based on credible intelligence on criminal activities in the area. Deployed at Naka on routine patrol, the troops tactically engaged three bandits. Two were neutralised, while the third escaped with gunshot wounds. Six rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered along with the weapon.
Major General Moses Gara, Force Commander of OPWS, commended the troops for their professionalism and reaffirmed the Joint Task Force’s commitment to sustaining operations to enhance security across the Joint Operations Area.
Troops have intensified patrols in the area to deny criminal elements freedom of movement.
