Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled a terrorist abduction attempt and rescued 31 civilians during a military operation along the Buratai–Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to a statement signed by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, on Saturday,the incident occurred at about 3:45 p.m. on Friday, when troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion, Dutsen Kura, detected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists intercepting four civilian vehicles and abducting their occupants through real-time surveillance.
The statement said the battalion immediately deployed a Quick Response Force, which pursued the terrorists towards the Mangari–Dora general area. The troops engaged the insurgents in a firefight, forcing them to abandon the abducted civilians and the four vehicles before fleeing into the surrounding bush.
It added that troops recovered motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing terrorists during the operation. All 31 abducted civilians were rescued unharmed, while the four civilian vehicles were recovered intact.
Following the rescue, the troops conducted further exploitation and dominated the area to prevent the terrorists from regrouping. No further contact was made with the fleeing insurgents.
The rescued civilians and recovered vehicles were later escorted to Buratai, where the victims reclaimed their vehicles and safely continued their journey.
Captain Goni said the operation underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations in protecting civilians and disrupting terrorist activities. He reaffirmed that the Joint Task Force remains committed to sustaining offensive operations aimed at eliminating terrorist remnants while ensuring the security of communities and major routes across the North-East theatre.