Nigeria's army rescues 360 women and children abducted by Boko Haram
The Nigerian army has said it freed 360 women and children abducted by Boko Haram in the country's north-east. The operation was carried out in the Mandara mountains, which form part of the militant group's stronghold.
In its 7 June statement, the Nigerian army said the operation in the Mandara mountains in Borno State had freed 360 people who had been abducted from various communities. Those rescued include young children and pregnant women, the statement said. The army confirmed there had been fighting during the operation but did not disclose its own casualties.
President Bola Tinubu said the rescued group had been moved to a temporary processing centre in Maiduguri for family reunification. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it was preparing a psychosocial support package for the rescued children. Borno's governor said a safe return programme to the freed families' villages would begin with army cover.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks on villages in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in recent months. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the regional joint security force would be reinforced. Germany's Foreign Office said it had allocated an additional €12 million to the humanitarian coordination response in Nigeria.
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