Nigeria, July 19 -- Several months ago, I argued that one of the surest ways to degrade terrorist organisations is to deny them time and space. Terrorist groups thrive when they regroup after setbacks, rebuild their logistics, reconnect with their support networks and resume operations at a time of their choosing. Sustained pressure, driven by credible intelligence and backed by coordinated security operations, leaves little room for such recovery. The Oyo operation lends further weight to that argument.

Available accounts of the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and their teachers from Ansaru terrorists point to an operation that achieved more than the safe return of innocent victims. If those accounts are accurate, the operation offers...