Dozens of kidnapped women and children were rescued from the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram by Nigeria’s army, according to a spokesperson.
They were rescued from camps in Borno State, a state in the northeast of Nigeria and one that Boko Haram frequents.
Army spokesperson Col. Sani Usman said the women and children were freed as the army cleared Boko Haram camps and secured an important bridge linking towns in Borno State Monday.
“The gallant troops also rescued dozens of kidnapped women and children held captive by Boko Haram terrorists,” said Sani, according to Nigerian newspaper Premium Times. “The clearance by ground troops and aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force continues until we reached the desired objective of defeating the terrorists.”
The army did not say the condition of the women and children rescued or when they had been captured.
None of the 219 schoolgirls abducted in 2014 have been rescued, although hundreds of hostages have been freed in 2015. In the six-year conflict with the militant Boko Haram, 20,000 people have been killed and at least 2.1 million people displaced.
Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March. More than 1,000 people have been killed since March 2015 when Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was elected and pledged to eliminate the jihadist group.
