Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI have rescued 360 abductees from a Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) enclave in the Mandara Mountains area of southern Borno State in one of the largest hostage rescue operations recorded in the North-East in recent years.

The operation, carried out by Special Forces and troops of Sector 1, followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and operational planning. The rescued victims, comprising men, women and children, had been held captive under harsh conditions after being abducted from several communities, particularly around the Ngoshe axis.

According to military authorities, the operation was launched following credible intelligence that revealed the location of the hostages and the existence of a terrorist support network sustaining the enclave.

Military intelligence units subsequently coordinated an extensive intelligence-driven operation that combined Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, including the use of unmanned aerial systems and long-range reconnaissance patrols.

The intelligence effort enabled commanders to identify insurgent positions, defensive structures and movement patterns, significantly reducing risks to the hostages during the rescue mission.

A major breakthrough came through the penetration of the terrorist network by intelligence assets, which provided real-time information on the location of the captives, the activities of insurgent commanders and planned movements within the camp.

Military authorities said the operation demonstrates the growing effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI in degrading terrorist networks, expanding its operational reach and protecting vulnerable communities across the North-East.