Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued 92 civilians kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Buratai-Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
The military said the rescue operation was carried out Saturday after troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion at Dutse Kura detected insurgents forcing civilians and vehicles off the road and into nearby bushes using surveillance systems.
In a statement signed by Sani Uba, the military said a Quick Reaction Force and reinforcement troops from the 27 Task Force Brigade Garrison were immediately deployed to pursue the attackers toward the Mangari-Dora area.
Troops engaged the insurgents, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee, according to the statement.
The rescued victims included 52 men, 33 women and seven children. Troops also recovered eight vehicles abandoned during the attack.
The military said the fleeing terrorists attempted to slow down advancing troops by planting three improvised explosive devices along the Bula Zarma-Mangari axis in what it described as an ambush attempt.
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team later detected and detonated the devices, clearing the route for troops to continue the pursuit for about five kilometres beyond Mangari, the statement added.
No military personnel or equipment were lost during the operation, according to the task force.
The rescued civilians were provided immediate support and escorted to Damaturu to continue their journey.
The military said the operation demonstrated the surveillance capability and combat readiness of troops operating in the North East theatre and warned that attempts by terrorists to kidnap or intimidate civilians would be met with “swift and overwhelming force.”
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