ABUJA, Nigeria — Ninety-two people who were abducted by jihadi extremists have been rescued by troops in Nigeria’s conflict-battered northeast region, the country’s military said Sunday.
The abductees — 52 males, 33 females, and seven children — were rescued along the Buratai–Kamuya road in the Biu area of Borno State, military spokesperson Sani Uba said in a statement.
The militants were “forcibly herding” their victims off the road and into the bush before they were intercepted by the soldiers, Uba said.
“Converging on the terrorists in a well-coordinated pursuit toward the Mangari-Dora general area, Operation HADIN KAI troops engaged the insurgents and forced them to abandon their captives and flee in confusion,” he said.
The military did not specify how long those rescued had been in captivity.
Militant groups operating in northern Nigeria include Boko Haram and a splinter organization that broke away to affiliate with the Islamic State group. They range across vast areas, in addition to numerous criminal groups specializing in kidnapping for ransom, generally called “bandits.”
Nigeria’s complex security crisis has killed thousands of people, according to the United Nations.
Last week, the West African country said a joint operation with the United States against the IS group has killed over 170 militants. Prior to that, Nigeria announced the killing of Abu Bakr al-Mainuki and Abd-al Wahhab, top leaders of the extremists group.
