Military reports rescue of travellers in Zamfara

Troops from Operation Fansan Yamma said they rescued 41 travellers after armed men tried to abduct them when their commercial vehicle broke down in Tsafe Local Government Area, Zamfara State. A separate account put the number at 49, leaving the reported total unresolved. The military said those it rescued were unharmed; the encounter has not been independently verified in the supplied reporting. According to the military statement, the vehicle was travelling from Senegal to Kano State when it developed a mechanical fault and left passengers stranded along a highway. Armed men then tried to move them away from the vehicle, the statement said. Troops from Sector 2 responded to intelligence about the incident, engaged the attackers and forced them to flee into nearby farmland. The military’s account identified the 41 travellers as 24 men, 10 women and seven children. It did not disclose their identities or nationalities, or specify the exact location of the encounter. It said the travellers were receiving support and would be reunited with their families and relevant transit authorities. The statement did not say whether attackers were killed, injured or arrested.