Nigerian army frees hundreds of captives from Boko Haram mountain hideout

According to Nigeria's armed forces, the operation was led by special units in the Mandara Mountains region of Borno state. The command said intelligence on the hideout had been tracked for weeks and that the action was coordinated with Cameroon. Those freed include more than 240 women and children abducted in March from the village of Pulka in Borno.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said those rescued have been transferred to a centre in Maiduguri for medical examination, and the International Organization for Migration has activated psycho-social support plans. The split between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has made the picture more complex over the past year as smaller offshoots have turned to ransom-driven abductions across different areas.

The Nigerian government says more than 800 people have been freed in similar operations over the past two months. Officials underline that the multinational task force operating in the Lake Chad basin has stepped up its effectiveness, while the EU and the United States continue with military training and intelligence support. Independent analysts warn that a numerical fall in abduction cases is not a guarantee of long-term peace.