By Uzair Adam
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Joint Task Force North East, have rescued 86 civilians, mostly motorists and passengers, who were abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents around Dutsen Kura along the Damaturu–Buratai–Biu road in Borno State.
According to a senior military officer who was not authorised to speak to the press, the incident occurred on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
The troops also destroyed 11 makeshift structures belonging to the terrorists during the operation.
The officer disclosed that troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Sector 2, OPHK, encountered the insurgents after discovering they had abducted civilians and seized vehicles along the Buratai–Kamuya road.
“The troops immediately engaged the terrorists, pursued them towards Mangari, and overpowered them in a follow-up encounter near their camp, forcing them to flee in disarray,” the source said.
A thorough search of the area led to the rescue of 86 victims, including men, women, and children.
Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle, five magazines loaded with 73 rounds, four PKT ammunition belts, five civilian vehicles, five motorcycles, eight bicycles, and two logistics tricycles.
The camp was later destroyed after clearance operations.In a separate operation, troops deployed at Mangada arrested 29 individuals suspected to be logistics suppliers for Boko Haram while en route to Chilaria.
The suspects were found with two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with over 1,000 litres of petrol, four gallons of engine oil, two new gun truck tyres, a cache of medical supplies, and large quantities of foodstuffs and provisions.
The source confirmed that all operations were conducted successfully without any casualties among the troops.
The Military High Command commended the soldiers for their gallantry and professionalism and urged them to sustain the momentum to deny terrorists any freedom of action in the North East.