Troops Rescue Mother, Infant From Terrorist Camp as Operation Hadin Kai Intensifies Offensive in North-East

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued a young mother and her infant son from a terrorist enclave in the North-East as military operations against insurgents intensify across the region.

The breakthrough came during ongoing offensives under Operation Desert Sanity V/Siege Operations, which military authorities say have also led to the neutralisation of terrorists and the surrender of insurgents’ family members.

In a statement released on Thursday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force North-East, said troops conducting operations around the Amuda axis intercepted and rescued the victims after sustained attacks on terrorist hideouts in the Mandara Mountains.

The rescued victims were identified as 20-year-old Maryam Muhammad and her one-year-four-month-old son, Bello Muhammad.

According to the military, the pair were among residents abducted during a terrorist attack on Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026.

Preliminary findings revealed that the victims had been held inside a terrorist camp hidden within the Mandara Mountains before escaping amid heavy military bombardments targeting insurgent positions.

The military said intense fire missions forced the terrorists to abandon parts of their enclave, creating an opportunity for the captives to flee.

Following their rescue, the mother and child reportedly underwent medical assessment before being reunited with family members through community leaders in Ngoshe.

The operation formed part of wider coordinated offensives carried out in Wulgo, Gumsari and Hausari by troops working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.

During the operations, soldiers reportedly discovered several items linked to insurgent activities, including makeshift medical facilities stocked with transfusion equipment, antibiotics, ammunition and a uniform belonging to a terrorist commander.

Troops also neutralised one suspected terrorist during the operation, while no casualties were recorded among security personnel.

Military authorities further disclosed that continued pressure on insurgent camps is forcing more family members of terrorists to flee and surrender to troops.

In the Gwoza axis, a 50-year-old woman identified as Ghwa’a Biwa reportedly escaped from a terrorist camp in the Mandara Mountains and surrendered to troops of the 192 Battalion.

She reportedly told security personnel that worsening conditions inside the camps, coupled with sustained military offensives, pushed her to flee.

Two additional individuals — 19-year-old Binta Umaru and her two-year-old daughter, Hafsat Ibrahim — also surrendered to troops along the Gwoza-Limankara road after escaping another insurgent enclave.

The military said all surrendered persons are currently undergoing profiling and documentation in line with operational procedures.

Authorities described the latest developments as evidence of growing pressure on insurgent networks operating around the Mandara Mountains and border communities in the North-East.