Troops rescue 360 hostages from Boko Haram enclave in Mandara Mountains
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued 360 abductees from a Boko Haram stronghold deep in the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State, the military said, calling it one of the most significant hostage rescues in the Northeast in recent times.
The Joint Task Force said Special Forces and troops of Sector 1 carried out the intelligence-led raid on a fortified Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) enclave after weeks of reconnaissance and planning.
The freed captives include men, women and children abducted from several communities, mostly around the Ngoshe axis, and were held under “harsh conditions,” the military said.
“This operation underscores the growing operational reach, intelligence dominance, and tactical superiority of OPHK in denying terrorists freedom of action and protecting vulnerable populations,” the military said in a statement.
According to Operation Hadin Kai, the raid followed “credible and corroborated intelligence” pinpointing the hostages’ location and an insurgent support network sustaining the enclave.
Officials said the data helped commanders identify vulnerabilities and reduce risk to hostages.
A breakthrough came when “carefully cultivated intelligence assets” penetrated the terrorist network and provided details on the abductees’ exact locations, commanders’ disposition, internal security, and planned relocation routes.
The military said coordinated information and psychological operations also sowed mistrust among insurgents, degrading their cohesion before the assault phase began.
The Mandara Mountains along the Nigeria-Cameroon border have long served as hideouts for JAS fighters.
