Nigeria's security forces have freed 360 men, women, and children from a mountain hideout where they were being held by kidnappers in Borno state in the northeast, after an intelligence-led operation, the military said on Sunday.
The abductees were being held by a group known as Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (JAS) deep in the Mandara mountains in the southern part of the state, the military said in a statement. JAS is the official Arabic name of the main faction of Boko Haram.
The rescue operation was carried out by a joint task force that included special forces, who forced JAS fighters to abandon their positions, the military said.
The abductees were captured from various communities in the area over an unspecified period, and two children who were in captivity died due to exhaustion and the impact of the harsh environment that the hostages were held in, the statement continued.
Nigeria struggles to control internal issues
The government of the West African nation has struggled for years to tackle insecurity, ranging from herder-farmer conflicts across its center to kidnapping gangs, Islamist terrorists, and community defense militia that operate across northern states.
The widespread kidnappings and the ever-expanding presence of armed groups across Nigeria - Africa's most populous country - are likely to be key issues in the run-up to a presidential election in January.