Nigeria’s security forces have rescued 360 men, women and children from a remote mountain hideout in Borno State, following what the military described on Sunday as an intelligence‑driven operation.
The West African nation has long grappled with overlapping security crises — from deadly clashes between herders and farmers in its central region to the activities of kidnapping gangs, armed militias and insurgent groups across the north.
According to a military statement, the captives had been held by Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal‑Jihad (JAS), the main faction of Boko Haram, deep within the Mandara Mountains in the state’s southern reaches. The individuals had been abducted at different times from several communities in the area.
A joint task force, including special forces, led the rescue, advancing on the hideout and forcing JAS fighters to flee their positions.
The military reported that two children died in captivity, succumbing to exhaustion and the severe conditions in which the hostages were kept.
The surge in kidnappings and the widening footprint of armed groups remain pressing challenges for Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, and are expected to feature prominently as the country heads toward a presidential election in January.
