Children were among the 76 freed hostages in Nigeria following the local military's airstrikes targeting militants in the region's northwest.
Authorities launched the airstrikes on targets located around Pauwa Hill, which is in the Kankara area of Katsina state, in the early hours of Saturday. The state's commissioner for internal security, Nasir Mu'azu, said that the air assault was launched in a manhunt for a notorious kidnapper.
Nigerian Children Among Freed Hostages
The commissioner added that the hostages who were rescued include some of the people who were forcefully taken during an attack on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau, which resulted in the death of at least 50 individuals.
In the past few months, officials have seen an increase in attacks on communities in the northwest and north-central regions of Nigeria. The region is where farmers typically clash over limited access to both land and water. The situation comes after an attack last month that killed 150 people, according to the Daily Journal.
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The conflict has become increasingly deadly in the past few years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up more sophisticated arms. Commissioner Mu'azu said that the recent air assault is part of a "broader strategy" that aims to dismantle criminal hideouts, weaken their networks, and end the cycle of killings, kidnappings, and extortion.
On top of these issues, the West African country is also plagued by insurgency in its northeast region. The United Nations said this particular problem has already resulted in the death of roughly 35,000 civilians and the displacement of more than 2 million others.
Military Airstrikes on Militants
The latest news comes as separate airstrikes on Saturday in the northwest of Nigeria killed 35 militants in what local officials called a "targeted attack." Despite President Bola Tinubu's government's efforts to curb jidahi attacks in the region, the militancy has continued to persist, ABC News reported.
One of the tragic incidents in the region involved kidnappers who killed 35 hostages in July despite a ransom being paid. The assailants originally abducted the individuals from a village in northern Zamfara state.
This particular incident involves a group of gunmen who demanded a ransom of roughly $655 per captive. Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura noted most of the people who were killed were young individuals who "were slaughtered like rams."
Residents also noted that three pregnant women who were among the hostages gave birth while in captivity. However, all of the newborn children died because of a lack of care, as per BBC.
