In Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria, troops have rescued 33 people who were abducted by unidentified gunmen, according to an army statement on Sunday, as reported by infohub.kz.
The group was kidnapped while traveling through the Tsafe area of Zamfara on Saturday. Army spokesman Aliyu Danja said a military operation was launched immediately after the incident, and troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight. "The troops engaged the terrorists with effective fire, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into adjoining bushes," Danja said. "The troops then secured and rescued all 33 abducted persons." He added that efforts to track down the fleeing terrorists are ongoing.
Zamfara has seen a surge in killings and abductions in recent months. At least 32 people were killed in separate attacks in the state in June alone. Apart from the conflict in the northwest and north-central regions, an insurgency in the northeast has killed thousands and displaced millions, according to the United Nations.
Despite repeated promises by President Bola Tinubu to address the crisis, security challenges in Africa's most populous country have continued to deteriorate.