Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents along the Buratai–Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, rescuing 31 commuters and recovering four vehicles.
The Nigerian Army said the operation was carried out at about 3:45 p.m. on Friday after troops received real-time intelligence that terrorists had intercepted four civilian vehicles on the strategic highway.
According to the military, the insurgents had forced the vehicles to stop and were attempting to whisk away the passengers toward the remote Mangari–Dora axis before troops intervened.
A statement issued by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said personnel of the 135 Special Forces Battalion at Dutsen Kura detected the terrorists’ movement through advanced surveillance systems and immediately deployed a heavily armed Quick Response Force to the scene.
“The troops made contact with the terrorists and engaged them with overwhelming firepower, forcing the insurgents to abandon the abducted civilians, the four vehicles and several operational motorcycles before fleeing into the surrounding bush,” the statement said.
The military said soldiers subsequently combed the area to eliminate any lingering threats and prevent the insurgents from regrouping.
It added that all 31 rescued commuters were recovered unharmed, while the four vehicles were retrieved intact.
The victims were later escorted under military protection back to Buratai, where they regained possession of their vehicles and continued their journeys after security clearance.
Reaffirming the military’s resolve to sustain the offensive against terrorist groups, Goni said Operation HADIN KAI would continue intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling the remaining insurgent networks and securing major highways and supply routes across the North-East.
The latest rescue operation comes amid renewed efforts by security forces to curb attacks on commuters and communities in Borno and other parts of the North-East, where Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have continued to stage ambushes, kidnappings and assaults despite sustained military offensives.
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