Nigerian soldiers saved the lives of 275 women and children, including newborns, who were rescued from captivity in the Sambisa Forest, the “headquarters” of the Islamic extremists Boko Haram, who claimed a portion of northeast Nigeria as an Islamic caliphate. They were taken to Yola refugee camp where they are being treated by doctors for malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria.
Officials are trying to determine if any of the girls rescued during this mission were the ones kidnapped in Chibok Government Girls Secondary School, an elite academy of both Muslim and Christian girls, mid-April 2014, sparking the worldwide “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign.
The Nigerian military reports they’ve rescued more than 677 girls and women and destroyed more than a dozen insurgent camps the past week.
