number of women and children held hostage by Islamist sect Boko
Haram, the army said on Saturday, after its offensive in the
northeast of the country overran three of the insurgents' camps.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video earlier
this month that the group had kidnapped several women and
children in retaliation against security forces who, it says,
detained the wives and children of its members without cause.
In their biggest offensive since the insurgency began in
2009, Nigerian forces are trying to chase well-armed militants
out of territory they control in remote semi-deserts around Lake
Chad, along the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
"Troops of the Special Operations have rescued three women
and six children after overrunning three terrorists camps ... in
the ongoing onslaught against terrorists," a statement from the
defence ministry said on Saturday.
"Troops combing the forest are however yet to locate one
other woman and her two children," it added.
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