Ten women believed to be family members of suspected terrorists and 24 children have surrendered to Nigerian Army troops in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State after rival terrorist factions clashed in the area.
The group surrendered at about 4:30pm on August 19 to troops of the 112 Task Force Battalion deployed in Mafa under Operation HADIN KAI and Operation DESERT SANITY V.
According to security analyst, Zagazola Makama, the group comprised 10 women aged between 20 and 47 years and 24 children between 1 and 13.
The women reportedly fled the Dukumba terrorists’ enclave after violent clashes broke out between rival factions operating in the area.
According to Makama, the fighting forced them to abandon the enclave with the children and seek safety with the troops.
The surrendered persons were profiled and documented by military authorities as part of efforts to establish their identities and understand the circumstances surrounding their presence in the terrorist enclave.
“The overall situation across the theatre remained calm but unpredictable, while troops maintained satisfactory morale and operational readiness,” Makama said.
