Nigerian Army Frees 101 Children, 77 Adults From Boko Haram
On Sunday, the Nigerian army announced it had destroyed several Boko Haram terrorist camps, rescuing 178 captives, the BBC reports.
In a statement, army spokesperson Colonel Tukur Gusau said that 101 of those freed were children, while 67 were women and 10 were men.
“In addition, one Boko Haram terrorists commander was captured alive and is presently undergoing investigation,” said Gusau.
The 219 missing schoolgirls who inspired the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag campaign last April were not among the rescued, the Associated Press reports. From AFP:
The Nigerian military has announced the release of hundreds of people held captive by Boko Haram in recent months, especially in the notorious Sambisa forest, a longtime Islamist stronghold now affiliated with the Islamic State group.
Last week, the army said it had released 30 hostages including 21 children about 90 kilometres east of Maiduguri, and 59 captives in another operation near the town of Konduga in the same area.
According to Amnesty International, at least 2,000 women and girls have been abducted by Boko Haram since 2014.
[Image via AP Images]