News / Nigeria

Nigeria troops rescue 195 from Boko Haram captivity

Thursday, 18 February 2016 6:54 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 18 February 2016 6:53 PM ]

The file photo shows Nigerian army soldiers in Goniri.

Nigerian army soldiers have rescued 195 people held hostage by Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists across the country’s northeastern region.

The Nigerian army said in a statement on Thursday that a number of militants had also been killed in the restive state of Borno during the operation, adding that a range of equipment and livestock had also been seized.

Two trucks, 180 motorcycles, 750 bicycles and a generator were among the seized equipment, according to reports.

This comes after a major operation against a key Boko Haram base in Nigeria by the Cameroonian army, which also led to the seizure of heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, AK-47s, grenades and training rifles.

On Sunday, Boko haram militants killed 30 people in raids on Borno State’s village of Kachifa and an area near Yakshari village.

Boko Haram terrorists have killed more than 1,650 people since the inauguration of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015.

The militancy has claimed the lives of over 17,000 people since the start of their insurgency in Nigeria in 2009, AFP says. The violence has also forced over 2.6 million others to flee their homes since then.

The terror group has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri group, which is mainly wreaking havoc in Syria and Iraq.

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