Nigeria Rescues Hundreds Held by Boko Haram

Hundreds of people have been freed from captivity after being held by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, according to the Christian human rights organisation International Christian Concern.

The Nigerian military said at least 360 people were rescued in the Mandara Mountains near the border with Cameroon. Local officials, however, put the number of those freed at more than 400. Most were abducted during an attack on the village of Ngoshe in Borno state in March, according to the German Christian news agency Idea Pressedienst.

There are conflicting accounts of how the captives were released. The Nigerian military has described the operation as one of its largest rescue missions in recent years. However, the local organisation Borno South Youth Alliance says long-running negotiations with the kidnappers played a decisive role in securing the release.

Boko Haram is one of Africa's deadliest Islamist militant groups and has terrorised parts of northern Nigeria for years. Its attacks have targeted both Muslim and Christian communities. Human rights organisations say Christians living in minority areas face particularly severe pressure and persecution.

(mja)