JUST IN: Troops Rescue Nine Abducted Students, Intensify Pursuit of Terrorists After Lassa School Attack
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued nine students abducted by Boko Haram terrorists during an attack on Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Lassa in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, while sustaining aggressive pursuit operations to rescue the remaining captives.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists stormed the school in the early hours of Monday while students were writing the ongoing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), causing panic before abducting several female students.
During the attack, a teacher was killed while another sustained injuries. The assailants fled with an unspecified number of students and several motorcycles.
Sources disclosed that troops, supported by local vigilante members, immediately launched a pursuit operation and engaged the fleeing terrorists in a fierce gun battle.
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The combined forces successfully overpowered the terrorists, forcing them to abandon part of their captives. Initial rescue efforts led to the recovery of eight abducted students and the capture of four motorcycles belonging to the terrorists.
Subsequent exploitation operations resulted in the rescue of an additional student, bringing the total number of rescued victims to nine, while troops also recovered a fifth motorcycle from the fleeing insurgents.
The sources further revealed that one vigilante member and one soldier paid the supreme sacrifice during the encounter, while efforts are ongoing to account for the remaining abducted students.
Military authorities said troops have continued to dominate all possible escape routes used by the terrorists, with additional reinforcements deployed to block crossing points and deny the insurgents freedom of movement.
The sources added that troops are maintaining relentless pressure on the fleeing terrorists through coordinated ground pursuit operations aimed at rescuing the remaining abductees and recovering additional equipment abandoned by the insurgents.
Security forces expressed optimism that the ongoing operation would yield further successes as the terrorists remain under intense pressure and are being pursued across multiple axes.
The attack comes amid sustained military offensives against Boko Haram and ISWAP enclaves across the North-East, with troops intensifying clearance operations to deny the insurgents safe havens and protect vulnerable communities.