Army rescues 86 kidnapped victims, arrests 29 terror suspects in Borno

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Joint Task Force North East, have rescued 86 kidnapped victims and arrested 29 suspected terrorist logistics suppliers during coordinated operations in Borno State.

This was disclosed in a statement shared on X on Monday by the Media Information Officer of the task force, Lt. Col. Sani Uba.

According to him, troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Sector 2 OPHK encountered Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists on November 9 at Dutse Kura after discovering that the insurgents were abducting civilians and vehicles along the Buratai–Kamuya Road.

He said, “The troops thwarted the attack and pursued the terrorists towards Mangari, overpowering them in a follow-up encounter near a camp, which forced the insurgents to flee in disarray.

“A search of the area led to the destruction of 11 makeshift terrorists’ structures and the rescue of 86 kidnapped victims, including men, women, and children.

“Recovered items include one AK-47 rifle, five magazines containing 73 rounds, four PKT ammunition belts, five civilian vehicles, five motorcycles, eight bicycles, and two logistics tricycles. The terrorists’ camp was destroyed after clearance operations.”

In a related operation, troops deployed at Mangada arrested 29 terrorist logistics suppliers en route to Chilaria with several items.

According to Uba, the recovered items included “two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), about 1,000 litres of petrol in jerricans, four gallons of engine oil, two new gun truck tyres, a huge cache of medical consumables, and large quantities of foodstuffs and provisions.”

He noted that all operations were conducted successfully with no casualties recorded among troops.

“The Military High Command commends the gallantry and professionalism of the troops while charging Operation Hadin Kai to sustain operations to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North-East theatre,” the statement added.

PUNCH Online on Sunday reported that the Nigerian Army has intensified nationwide offensive operations against terrorists, insurgents, and economic saboteurs, recording significant successes in the last 48 hours.(Punch)