KATSINA, Nigeria — The Nigerian Air Force has announced the rescue of 76 people, including women and children, who had been abducted by an armed gang in the country’s north-western Katsina State.
Officials stated on Saturday that the rescue operation followed a precision air strike on a bandit stronghold on Pauwa Hill. The operation was part of a larger manhunt for a gang leader known as Babaro, who is believed to be connected to a recent attack on a mosque in the region.
One child reportedly died during the rescue. Officials did not specify if there were other casualties among the victims or the gang members.
The air strike is being seen as a potential breakthrough in efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that have terrorized rural communities in the North-West for years.
The rescue comes as part of an intensified military campaign. Earlier this month, the air force announced it had killed at least 35 Islamic militants in the North-East near the border with Cameroon. According to a statement, almost 600 armed militia members have been killed in the past eight months.
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