The rescued victims
Joint Task Force of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Lt. Col. Sani Uba, have successfully rescued 360 abducted civilians during a major operation against a Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) enclave hidden within the Mandara Mountains in southern Borno State.
The spokesman of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Lt. Col. Sani Uba, revealed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday.
Lt. Col. Uba said the operation was the culmination of weeks of painstaking intelligence gathering, surveillance and tracking of insurgent activities in the area.
According to him, the rescued victims, comprising men, women and children, had been abducted from communities around the Ngoshe axis and were being held in difficult conditions inside the insurgents’ mountain hideout.
He explained that troops relied on a combination of human intelligence, signals intelligence and persistent aerial surveillance to identify the exact location of the captives and monitor activities within the enclave.
The spokesman noted that the intelligence-led approach enabled commanders to gain a clear understanding of the terrain, the insurgents’ positions and the locations where the hostages were being held before the operation commenced.
Uba further disclosed that security operatives successfully penetrated the network responsible for guarding the captives, providing crucial information that helped shape the final phase of the mission.
He said the intelligence obtained offered real-time updates on the movement of the terrorists and the exact whereabouts of the abductees, while also contributing to confusion within the insurgent ranks ahead of the assault.
According to him, troops subsequently launched a coordinated attack on the hideout, clearing several enemy positions within the rocky terrain and forcing the terrorists to retreat from strategic locations.
He stated that the rescued civilians were evacuated in batches from different parts of the enclave and moved to secure locations where they are currently receiving medical attention and other necessary support.
The OPHK spokesman added that follow-up operations are still ongoing across the Mandara Mountains as troops continue to pursue fleeing terrorists and dismantle remaining insurgent cells operating in the area.
Describing the operation as a significant blow to JAS elements in the North-East, Uba said the success reflects the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven military operations and improved coordination between intelligence assets and frontline troops.
He reaffirmed Operation HADIN KAI’s commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorist groups across the theatre of operations through aggressive field actions supported by credible intelligence.
The military spokesman assured that troops would continue to intensify efforts aimed at restoring peace and security across the North-East region.This version reads like a standard newspaper report built around the spokesman’s account, rather than narrating the operation as if the reporter witnessed it.
