At least 386 people, mostly women and children, have been rescued by the Army in Sambisa Forest 10 years after their abduction.
The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Brig. Gen. AGL Haruna, made this known while speaking to newsmen at the weekend, at the outskirts of Sambisa Forest in Konduga local government area, after welcoming the troops that conducted the 10-day operation.
Haruna said that the operation, tagged: Operation Desert Sanity 111, was to clear Sambisa Forest of the remnants of all categories of terrorists, as well as provide some of them who are eager to surrender as observed the opportunity to do so.
Haruna said, With this operation, we envisage that many of them will surrender as they have started. We also rescued some civilians; as of yesterday, we rescued 386, and I am sure the number will increase by today.
The GOC, who addressed the troops on the message of Chief of Army Staff, lauded their performance and professionalism exhibited during the operation and urged them to sustain the tempo.
Some of those rescued who spoke to newsmen said they have been in captivity for the past 10 years.
Troops from 21 Special Armoured Brigade, 26 Task Force Brigade, and 199 Special Forces participated in the operation.
