Thirty-one civilians have been rescued from the hands of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists following an intelligence-led operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI along the Buratai–Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to an official statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, the successful rescue operation was carried out at about 3:45 p.m. on Friday, 31 July 2026, after troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion, Dutsen Kura, detected terrorist activities through real-time surveillance systems.
The statement explained that the terrorists had intercepted four civilian vehicles and abducted their occupants before the surveillance system alerted the troops. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the battalion deployed a Quick Response Force that tracked the fleeing insurgents towards the Mangari–Dora general area.
On making contact, the troops engaged the terrorists with effective firepower, forcing them to abandon the 31 abducted civilians and the four civilian vehicles before fleeing into the surrounding bush. The soldiers also recovered motorcycles left behind by the terrorists during their escape.
Following the successful rescue, the troops dominated the area and carried out further exploitation operations to prevent the terrorists from regrouping. No further contact was recorded during the operation.
The rescued civilians and the recovered vehicles were subsequently escorted to Buratai, where the victims were reunited with their vehicles and resumed their journey safely.
The military said the operation underscores the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations in countering terrorist activities and protecting vulnerable communities. It reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to sustaining offensive operations against terrorist elements while ensuring the security of communities and major lines of communication across the North-East theatre.
