By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Nigerian military has rescued 10 students and teachers who were abducted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State.
According to a statement released by the acting spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on Monday when militants stormed Lassa Technical Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where students were sitting for their NECO senior secondary examinations.
The statement said troops were immediately deployed alongside air support to conduct a rescue operation. Following an exchange of fire with the terrorists in the Daggu area, the military successfully rescued 10 individuals unharmed.
“Efforts are still ongoing to rescue the remaining one person, as well as to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice,” the statement read.
The military reported that during the confrontation, several terrorists were neutralized and seven motorcycles used in the attack were recovered, which hindered the militants’ escape.
However, the operation came at a cost, with one soldier and one member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) killed during the firefight.
Search and rescue operations continue as security forces work to secure the release of the remaining hostage.
