Nigerian military forces have rescued 360 abductees held captive by the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorist group in a fortified enclave in the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State, the Joint Task Force (North East) announced.
The operation, carried out by Special Forces and troops of Sector 1 under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), is described as one of the most significant hostage rescues conducted in the North East Theatre in recent memory. The rescued hostages — men, women, and children — had been abducted from several communities, particularly in the Ngoshe axis, and were found living under harsh conditions.
Weeks of intelligence preparation preceded the raid, with military personnel drawing on human intelligence, signals intelligence, and aerial surveillance to pinpoint the hostages’ location and map insurgent defences. A key breakthrough came when cultivated intelligence assets successfully penetrated the terrorist network, providing real-time information on the hostages’ exact whereabouts and the movement plans of insurgent commanders.
Troops launched a coordinated night assault from multiple directions, achieving complete tactical surprise. Blocking forces sealed off escape routes while assault teams moved in, overwhelming the terrorists before any organised resistance could be mounted. Some insurgents fled into the surrounding mountains; others surrendered.
Tragically, two infants died during the evacuation, succumbing to exhaustion brought on by the difficult mountainous terrain and the hardships of prolonged captivity. The remaining 358 survivors were evacuated to secure locations for medical care and humanitarian support.
Nigeria’s Military High Command commended the troops for their professionalism and discipline, and said follow-on operations were underway to neutralise remaining terrorist elements and dismantle support networks in the area.
