No fewer than 386 people, primarily women and children, have been rescued by the Nigerian Army from Sambisa Forest, 10 years after their abduction.

Brig. Gen. AGL Haruna, the acting GOC of the 7 Division, announced this to reporters at the outskirts of Sambisa Forest in Konduga LGA after welcoming the troops who conducted the 10-day operation.

Haruna explained that the mission, named "Operation Desert Sanity 111," aimed to clear Sambisa Forest of all remaining terrorists and provide an opportunity for those willing to surrender to do so.

“Our goal is to clear the remnants of terrorists in Sambisa and offer those willing to surrender the chance to do so.

“With this operation, we anticipate that many will surrender, as some have already begun to.

“We also rescued civilians; as of yesterday, we rescued 386, and I am confident the number will increase today,” Haruna said.

The GOC conveyed the Chief of Army Staff's message to the troops, praising their performance and professionalism during the operation and encouraging them to maintain their efforts.

Some of the rescued individuals shared that they had been in captivity for the past 10 years.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that troops from the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, 26 Task Force Brigade, and 199 Special Forces participated in the operation.