Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, say they rescued 47 people — mostly women and children — from an ISWAP enclave in Kangarwa, Kukawa council area of Borno. The military disclosed the rescue in a statement on Tuesday.
It said the hostages were freed after sustained offensive operations against ISWAP strongholds in the Lake Chad region. Aggressive ground and air assaults, the statement added, forced the terrorists to abandon their positions and gave the captives a chance to escape from long detention.
“The Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, recorded yet another significant humanitarian success with the rescue of over 47 persons, mostly women and children, who were held captive by ISWAP terrorists in Kangarwa, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno.
“The successful rescue operation was made possible through sustained aggressive pressure and relentless offensive operations conducted by OPHK troops against ISWAP enclaves in the Lake Chad region.
“The unrelenting ground and air offensives forced the terrorists to abandon their positions in confusion, enabling the victims to escape from prolonged captivity,” the military stated.
The rescued people are now getting medical care at a secure location, and arrangements are under way to give them humanitarian aid. Relevant agencies are working with the military to help rehabilitate and reintegrate the victims. The statement said the rescue shows Operation Hadin Kai’s commitment to protecting civilians while degrading terrorist capacity in the North-East, and reaffirmed a resolve to intensify operations to dismantle remaining ISWAP networks and restore peace.
The military has recently stepped up operations across the Lake Chad Basin and the Sambisa forest, leading to rescues, weapons recoveries and the killing of scores of insurgents. (NAN)
