Nearly 180 escape Boko Haram's clutches

Nigeria's military released a statement to confirm they had succeeded in freeing captives (pictured above) from the jihadist group.

"During the offensive operations, 178 people held captive by the terrorists were rescued," military spokesman Colonel Tukur Gusau said. "They include 101 children, 67 women and 10 men. They were found "in bad condition caused by maltreatment," he explained, without stating exactly when they were released.

Gusau also confirmed the arrest of a high-ranking Boko Haram commander near the town of Bama in northeastern Borno state. Soldiers also succeeded in closing down numerous Boko Haram camps during their offensive on Sunday.

The Nigerian army has announced the release of several hundreds of Boko Haram captives in recent months, especially around the Sambisa forest, where the jihadists are considered to be most active. Nigerian airstrikes had been targeting militants in and around the forest, which is close to the Cameroonian border.

Joint force against terror

Boko Haram has stepped up its strikes ever since Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May. More than 800 people have been killed in terror attacks since then.

Sunday's army operation follows the latest wave of Boko Haram attacks over the past few days. These include a terror attack on Malari village, about 20 kilometers from Maiduguri, in which several people were killed. The village has been a target of several strikes in the last months, including one in July which left 12 people dead.

Boko Haram jihadists, who aim to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region, have been expanding their operations to Nigeria's neighboring countries, including Niger, Cameroon and Chad. The four countries, along with Benin, are now launching a combined force of nearly 9,000 soldiers to fight the terror menace.

According to Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou, the new force would "eradicate" the insurgents and their "blind terrorism."

mg/jil (dpa, AFP)