Nigerian troops have rescued dozens of kidnapped civilians in operations across the country’s northwest, even as the military suffered fresh losses in the northeast where Islamist Boko Haram insurgents killed at least eight soldiers in Borno State, underscoring the dual-front security challenge facing Africa’s most populous nation.
In the northwest, soldiers freed 62 hostages and killed two militants during separate operations in Kebbi and Zamfara states, the army said Wednesday. The raids form part of an ongoing offensive against armed gangs blamed for a surge in mass kidnappings across the region.
Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, an army spokesperson, said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara State after receiving intelligence that captives were being held there. All 62 hostages were rescued alive and placed in safe custody, with arrangements underway to reunite them with their families, the army said. Reuters also reported the rescue.
In a separate operation, Nigerian troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi State’s Augie district and neighboring Sokoto State, killing two fighters after tracking the group’s movements through intelligence reports, Osoba said.
Northwestern Nigeria has been increasingly destabilized by criminal gangs operating from forest enclaves, carrying out attacks on villages, schools and places of worship. The violence has included high-profile abductions, such as the January 18 kidnapping of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna State.
The security situation has drawn international attention. President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to adequately protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in parts of the country. The Nigerian government has rejected claims of religious persecution, insisting that security forces are targeting armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
The United States has also stepped up its involvement. U.S. forces carried out strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, Nigerian and U.S. officials have said.
While troops recorded gains in the northwest, the military faced deadly setbacks in the northeast. In Borno State, at least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed and about 50 others wounded when Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military formation on Monday, security sources said Wednesday.
The militants arrived at the base on motorcycles and in armored vehicles, launching a coordinated assault that overwhelmed the position, according to the sources. Several of the wounded were evacuated for treatment, though the conditions of some remained unclear.
Borno State remains the epicenter of Boko Haram’s long-running insurgency, which began in 2009 and has killed tens of thousands of people while displacing millions across northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries.
The Nigerian military said its latest operations highlight both the progress and the persistent risks facing troops as they battle multiple armed groups across vast and difficult terrain. Officials say efforts will continue to dismantle militant networks responsible for kidnappings, attacks on civilians and assaults on security forces.
Reuters
