Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI have rescued 92 civilians abducted by Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters along the Buratai–Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
The operation, which took place on Saturday, also led to the recovery of eight vehicles. Troops also discovered and detonated three improvised explosive devices allegedly planted by the fleeing insurgents.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
According to the statement, troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion stationed at Dutse Kura spotted the insurgents around 11:22 a.m. while they were reportedly forcing travellers and motorists away from the road into nearby bush paths.
After the sighting, the battalion immediately deployed its Quick Reaction Force. Reinforcement troops from the 27 Task Force Brigade Garrison also joined the operation.
The troops later chased the insurgents toward the Mangari-Dora area, where an exchange followed. The pressure from the advancing troops forced the attackers to abandon the captives and flee the area.
“All 92 kidnapped victims, comprising 52 males, 33 females and 7 children, along with 8 vehicles, were successfully recovered,” the military stated.
The statement said the insurgents attempted to delay the troops by planting three IEDs along the Bula Zarma-Mangari route in what the military described as an ambush effort.
However, the military said its Explosive Ordnance Disposal team detected the explosives and safely detonated them before troops continued the pursuit beyond the Mangari area.
“The unit’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded with precision and successfully detonated all three devices, clearing the route and enabling troops to press the pursuit approximately five kilometres beyond the Mangari general area,” the statement said.
The military added that troops later carried out further search operations across the area, but the insurgents had already dispersed after abandoning the victims and vehicles.
It also stated that no casualties were recorded among troops or military equipment during the mission.
“OPHK troops sustained zero personnel or equipment casualties throughout the operation,” it stated.
The rescued civilians were later given welfare support before they were escorted to Damaturu to continue their journey.
The military described the operation as proof of the “operational reach, surveillance capability and combat readiness” of Operation HADIN KAI. It also warned that any attempt by insurgents to attack or abduct civilians in the North-East would be met with “swift and overwhelming force.”
