Army frees 360 abductees after clashes with Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Borno

Key points

• Two infants succumbed to the ‘harsh conditions’ of Boko Haram captivity in the Mandara mountains, the army says.
• 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.
• Two 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.