Insecurity: Military rescues 360 people three months after mass abduction in Borno town
Insecurity: Military rescues 360 people three months after mass abduction in Borno town
*it’s remarkable operation -Zulum
By Mohammed Sule
The military have rescued 360 people mostly women, children and men from terrorists captivity three month after their abduction by suspected Boko Haram members in a town in Borno State.
The 360 people who were among nearly 400 civilians kidnaped by the terrorist group on March 4 after a bloody attack on Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government of Borno State and seizure of the town, were freed on Saturday June 6 in an operation described by the military as one of the most significant hostage rescue missions !kin the northeast.
Acting spokesman of the Joint Task Force Northeast Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Lt Col Haruna Sani in a statement on Sunday said the operation was a culmination of weeks of intelligence development, collaboration and monitoring of the terrorists activities in their enclave located within the Mandara Mountains near the Cameron border.
“The operation, which was the culmination of weeks of painstaking intelligence preparation, covert reconnaissance, and operational planning, resulted in the safe recovery of men, women, and children who had been held in captivity under harsh conditions after being abducted from several communities, particularly within the Ngoshe axis,” Sani revealed in the statement.
He said the operation was initiated following the receipt of credible intelligence about the terrorists location, support network for sustaining their enclave and their disposition.
The initial information received according to the spokesman, helped the OPHK intelligence elements to launch “an extensive target development process” involving combinations of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT).
He said Reconnaissance (ISR) operations were conducted through unmanned aerial systems and long-range reconnaissance patrols.
“Through sustained intelligence collection and analysis, commanders developed a comprehensive understanding of the terrain, insurgent disposition, defensive arrangements, movement patterns, and the condition of the abductees. This intelligence-driven approach enabled the force to accurately map the objective area, identify vulnerabilities within the terrorist network, and significantly reduce risks to the hostages during the rescue mission,” he explained.
Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum commended the military. He described the rescue operation as a remarkable demonstration of courage, professionalism, and growing effectiveness of intelligence-led military effort in ending terrorists activities in the northeast.
