Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), the Joint Task Force North East, have rescued 86 kidnapped victims and foiled a terrorist ambush in a major counter-insurgency operation in Borno State, the military announced on Sunday.
According to a statement signed by Major Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of OPHK, soldiers from the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Sector 2 carried out the successful operation on November 9 after intercepting Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents at Dutse Kura along the Buratai–Kamuya Road.
The troops reportedly intervened when the terrorists were abducting civilians and commandeering vehicles. After engaging the insurgents in a fierce gun battle, the soldiers pursued them towards Mangari, overpowering them in a follow-up encounter near a makeshift camp.
A search of the area led to the discovery and destruction of 11 temporary terrorist structures. The troops also freed 86 kidnapped victims including men, women, and children and recovered several weapons and vehicles.
Items recovered from the scene 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.
In a related operation, troops stationed at Mangada arrested 29 suspected terrorist logistics suppliers traveling toward Chilaria. The suspects were intercepted with two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with over 1,000 litres of petrol, four gallons of engine oil, two new gun truck tyres, a large cache of medical supplies, and significant quantities of food and provisions.
The military confirmed that all the operations were conducted without any casualties among the troops.
Commending the soldiers for their bravery and professionalism, the Military High Command urged the personnel of Operation HADIN KAI to sustain the pressure on insurgents and deny them freedom of action across the North East theatre.