Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
BURATAI — In a swift counter-insurgency operation described as one of the most effective in recent months, troops from Operation HADIN KAI have rescued 92 civilians who had been forcibly abducted by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists along the Buratai–Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area, Borno State.
The drama unfolded shortly after 11.20am on Saturday, when surveillance systems at Dutse Kura detected militants herding civilians and vehicles off the highway and into dense scrubland. Within minutes, the Quick Reaction Force of the 135 Special Forces Battalion was mobilised, with reinforcements from the 27 Task Force Brigade Garrison joining the pursuit.
Converging on the kidnappers near the Mangari-Dora general area, soldiers engaged the insurgents in a running firefight. Overwhelmed, the terrorists abandoned their captives and scattered into the bush.
All 92 hostages — 52 males, 33 females and seven children — were recovered unharmed, along with eight vehicles.
No military casualties were reported.
In a desperate attempt to slow the advancing column, the fleeing militants planted three improvised explosive devices along the Bula Zarma–Mangari route in a planned ambush. But an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team swiftly located and detonated all three devices, clearing the path and allowing troops to press the pursuit a further five kilometres beyond the Mangari area.
Subsequent searches found no sign of the insurgents, who had fled in complete disarray.
The rescued civilians were given immediate welfare support and escorted by armed personnel all the way to Damaturu, where they were released to continue their journeys.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North East), said the operation demonstrated the military’s reach and readiness.
“Any attempt by terrorists to harm, kidnap or intimidate civilians will be met with swift and overwhelming force across the entirety of the North East Theatre,” he said in a statement.
The rescue has been hailed as a model of rapid response, with security analysts noting that the use of surveillance systems and coordinated pursuit tactics proved decisive.
For the 92 freed captives, however, it was simply the end of a nightmare that could have lasted much longer.
