Army frees 360 people abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Borno State

Two infants succumbed to the ‘harsh conditions’ of Boko Haram captivity in the Mandara mountains, the army says.The Nigerian army says it has secured the release of 360 people abducted by Boko Haram earlier this year in the northeastern part of the country.The rescue operation unfolded in a Boko Haram stronghold in the south of Borno State, the military said in a statement on Sunday. Forces descended upon the Mandara mountains where Boko Haram fighters were holding hundreds of people “under harsh conditions”, it said.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Abu-Bilal al-Minuki: ISIL’s shadow commander in West Africalist 2 of 4US military carries out more strikes against ISIL fighters in Nigerialist 3 of 4Gunmen kidnap dozens of students in Nigeria’s Borno Statelist 4 of 4How ISWAP and Boko Haram are reshaping the Lake Chad Basinend of listTwo infants “succumbed to exhaustion occasioned by the extremely challenging mountainous terrain” and the conditions they endured during captivity, army spokesperson Haruna Sani said.“The remaining rescued abductees were successfully evacuated to safe locations for medical care and humanitarian support, marking a major operational success and a significant setback for the terrorist group,” Sani said.The military statement said troops had gathered intelligence and used “psychological operations” to sow “mistrust within the insurgent ranks” before “the commencement of the assault phase”.Several Boko Haram fighters fled into the surrounding mountains, while others surrendered, though the army did not say whether it completed arrests.A local youth leader and Borno senator confirmed the release to the AFP news agency on Saturday, but said the group included more than 400 people.Boko Haram had demanded millions of Nigerian naira in ransom for the captives.Growing insecurityBorno State is a hotbed for armed groups, bandits and separatists driving northeastern Nigeria’s security crisis, which accelerated in 2009 when Boko Haram began its bloody attacks.