Troops of Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have rescued 360 abductees from a terrorist hideout in the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State in what military authorities described as one of the most significant hostage rescue operations in the region in recent times.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to the military, the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance that helped security forces locate the enclave and identify an insurgent support network sustaining the camp.
The rescued victims, mostly women and children, had been held in captivity after being abducted from communities around the Ngoshe axis in Gwoza Local Government Area.
Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Sani, Acting Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, said the mission involved the integration of human intelligence, signals intelligence, and surveillance operations before troops moved in to extract the captives. He noted that the successful operation demonstrated the military’s growing operational reach and intelligence capabilities in the North-East.
The rescued victims were evacuated to safe locations, where they began receiving medical attention and humanitarian support. However, military authorities disclosed that two infants died from exhaustion and the harsh conditions they endured during captivity and the difficult journey through the mountainous terrain.
Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, said special operations forces carried out preliminary missions that disrupted terrorist positions and created the opportunity for ground troops to successfully extract the hostages.
Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Zulum has commended the Nigerian military and President Bola Tinubu for the successful operation, describing it as a major victory against insurgents operating in the state.
The rescue comes as security forces continue operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP elements in Nigeria’s North-East, where insurgency-related attacks and abductions have persisted despite years of military campaigns.
