Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued three children kidnapped about two months ago and eliminated five suspected terrorists during a fierce encounter in Borno State.
The development was disclosed on Saturday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, in a statement detailing recent military operations across the theatre.
Uba said the insurgents were neutralised when troops on a fighting patrol under Sector 1 engaged suspected members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad and the Islamic State West Africa Province around Sabsawa village in Borno State.
According to him, the soldiers responded with superior firepower after making contact with the terrorists, forcing them to retreat. “During the exploitation phase of the operation, five terrorists were neutralised,” he stated.
In a separate operation, troops deployed at Ngurosoye rescued three children identified as Abba Abba, 12; Fatima Abba, 8; and Aisha Abba, 6, during a perimeter patrol in Bama Local Government Area of the state.
Preliminary findings indicated that the children were abducted along the Gubio axis about two months ago by suspected terrorists and later moved to Bula-Daloye.
The military spokesman said the rescued minors had been handed over to the police for further necessary action.
He also revealed that an 18-year-old suspected terrorist, Abubakar Abubakar, surrendered to troops in Geidam, Yobe State, and is currently in custody undergoing profiling.
Uba added that troops across other sectors of Operation Hadin Kai sustained offensive and stabilisation operations in collaboration with hybrid forces, vigilantes and local hunters to deny insurgents freedom of movement.
He noted that the operations were largely successful, with ongoing exploitation and surveillance continuing across the theatre.
The military high command, he said, commended the troops for their resilience and combat efficiency, assuring that sustained pressure would be maintained on terrorist elements until enduring peace and economic stability are restored to the North-East region.