Chadian troops have rescued 85 Nigerians kidnapped Monday by Boko Haram militants, CNN sources in Nigeria said Saturday.
Boko Haram kidnapped at least 97 young men and boys and several women last week in a raid on the fishing village of Doron Baga and surrounding villages in Borno State, CNN reported.
The Islamist militants killed 28 residents and torched scores of homes in their path, according to residents.
The gunmen transported the hostages into neighboring Chad, where they were intercepted by security officials, a Nigerian security source told CNN.
“The convoy being led by six Boko Haram gunmen was stopped on the Chadian part of the border along Lake Chad for routine checks, and the huge number in the convoy raised suspicion,” the source reportedly said.
An official of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Maiduguri, who did not want to be named, confirmed to CNN the rescue of the 63 male and 22 female hostages.
He said the militants sped off with more than 30 hostages in motorboats when they spotted the convoy being questioned by Chadian soldiers.
Boko Haram has been waging a five-year insurgency to impose strict Shariah law in Nigeria. The group has carried out several high-profile abductions, including the kidnapping of an estimated 276 girls in April from a boarding school in Borno State. More than 200 are still missing after dozens managed to escape, CNN reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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