76 Hostages Released, 35 Jihadists Eliminated in Nigeria

• 76 hostages have been released in Nigeria during airstrikes against militants in the northwest of the country.
• 35 jihadists were eliminated during operations in the northern region.
• Conflicts in Nigeria have been ongoing for more than a decade, with rising violence.

In Nigeria, the army has released 76 hostages, including children, during airstrikes against militants in the northwest region of the country. The operation took place on Saturday, September 24, in the area of the Pauva region, which is located in Katsina State. These actions have become part of the search for a notorious kidnapper.

Among the released hostages are those who were caught in the raid on a mosque in Unguwan Manta, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people. Meanwhile, it has been reported that during the operation one child was killed.

In recent months, there has been an observed increase in the number of attacks on localities in Nigeria, particularly in the northwestern and northeastern regions, where farmers often clash with militants over limited access to land and water. In July in the north-central region of Nigeria, 150 people were killed as a result of an attack.

In addition, on Saturday during other airstrikes in the northwest of the country, 35 jihadists who were planning to attack local military forces were eliminated. Nigerian military officials stated that they will continue to provide aerial support to local forces in the eliminated jihadist bases in the northern region of the country.

Nigeria has been battling jihadist insurgencies for more than a decade, including groups like Boko Haram, as well as various criminal gangs and sectarian conflicts. According to information from the human rights organization Amnesty International, since the beginning of President Bola Tinubu's term, at least 10,217 people have been killed due to violence.