Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 86 kidnapped victims and arrested 29 suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers during coordinated operations across parts of Borno State.
The Army disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba.
According to the statement, the operations were conducted on November 9 by troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Sector 2. The troops reportedly encountered Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at Dutse Kura, along the Buratai–Kamuya road, where the insurgents were attempting to abduct civilians and seize vehicles.
The soldiers engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, foiled the abduction attempt, and pursued them towards the Mangari area.
A follow-up operation led to the discovery of a makeshift terrorist camp, where the troops rescued the kidnapped victims and destroyed 11 insurgent structures.
“During the clearance operation, troops rescued 86 kidnapped victims, including men, women, and children,” the statement read.
Recovered items included one AK-47 rifle, five magazines loaded with 73 rounds of ammunition, four PKT ammunition belts, five civilian vehicles, five motorcycles, eight bicycles, and two logistics tricycles. The camp was subsequently destroyed.
In a separate operation, troops stationed at Mangada intercepted and arrested 29 suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers heading to Chilaria.
The suspects were found with two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with about 1,000 litres of petrol, four gallons of engine oil, two new gun truck tyres, medical supplies, and a large cache of food items.
The military high command commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism, urging them to sustain the tempo and maintain pressure on terrorist groups operating in the North-East.