Nigeria’s security forces have freed 360 men, women and children from a mountain hideout where they were being held by kidnappers in Borno state in its northeast, after an intelligence-led operation, the military said on Sunday.
The government of the West African nation has struggled for years to tackle insecurity, ranging from herder-farmer conflicts across its centre to kidnapping gangs, terrorists, militants and community defence militia that operate across northern states.
The abductees were being held by a group known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) deep in the Mandara mountains in the southern part of the state, the military said in a statement. JAS is the official Arabic name of the main faction of Boko Haram.
They were captured from various communities in the area over an unspecified period.
The rescue operation was carried out by a joint task force that includes special forces, who forced JAS fighters to abandon their positions, the military said.
Two children who were in captivity died due to exhaustion and the impact of the harsh environment that the hostages were held in, the military said.
The widespread kidnappings and the ever-expanding presence of armed groups across Nigeria – Africa’s most populous country – are likely to be key issues in the run-up to a presidential election in January.
