Troops freed 62 people after storming terrorist hideouts in the states of Kebbi and Zamfara, the army has said

Nigerian troops have rescued more than 60 hostages and killed two militants in separate operations against armed groups in the northwestern states of Kebbi and Zamfara, the military confirmed on Wednesday.

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said forces raided a known terrorist hideout in Zamfara's Munhaye forest after receiving reports that captives were being held there. All 62 hostages were freed and are in safe custody, with efforts underway to reunite them with their families, he added.

"In Kebbi State, troops acting on actionable intelligence ambushed members of the Lakurawa terrorist group... The operation, executed in Kerani village, resulted in the elimination of two terrorists," he said in astatement.

Nigeria's northwest region has been plagued by an upsurge in mass kidnappings carried out by armed gangs using forest hideouts. The groups have attacked villages, schools, and places of worship.

On January 18, more than 160 worshippers were abducted from two churches in Kaduna, but the state's police commissioner, Muhammad Rabiu,dismissedthe reports as a "falsehood" being spread "to cause chaos." However, the national police laterconfirmedthe incident, claiming that Rabiu's earlier comments "were not a denial of the incident but a measured response pending confirmation of details from the field."

More than a dozen worshippers were kidnapped in an attack on a church in Kogi State just before Christmas, following several mass abductions, including the seizure of over 300 children and staff from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State.

US forces launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day after President Donald Trump accused the West African country's authorities of failing to prevent what he described as genocide against Christians. Abuja rejected the claims of systematic persecution, insisting the insecurity affects people of all faiths.

The government has since stepped up security measures, including deploying additional troops and expanding operations it says are aimed at dismantling armed networks responsible for widespread kidnappings and attacks.

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Armed Forcessaidseveral soldiers were killed and others injured during an offensive against insurgents in the Timbuktu Triangle, a long-standing Boko Haram stronghold in northeastern Nigeria. The army said mass graves with an estimated 20 militant bodies were discovered during the operation.

(RT.com)