The Nigerian Air Force has rescued 76 kidnap victims, including women and children, after a precision air strike on a bandit stronghold in northwest Katsina State, authorities said on Saturday.
The operation, targeting Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area, was part of a manhunt for a gang leader named Babaro who has been linked to a mosque attack last week in the town of Malumfashi in northwest Nigeria.
One child died during the rescue, the state’s Internal Security Ministry said, but it was not clear if there were any other casualties among the kidnap victims or the gang members.
The Air Force did not immediately respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.
The air strike could mark a breakthrough in efforts to dismantle criminal networks in northwest Nigeria, where armed gangs have terrorised rural communities for years.
In an earlier statement, Nigeria's air force said it killed at least 35 Islamic fighters in air strikes near the Cameroon border on Saturday, following intelligence that the group was planning an attack on ground troops.
The strikes targeted four assembly points, air force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said in a statement, adding that communication was later restored with troops who confirmed the area had been secured.
The operation is part of an intensified campaign in the northeast, where the military last week said it had killed 592 armed militia members in eight months, surpassing operational gains made in 2024.
Reuters
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