The Nigerian army have rescued nearly 300 women and girls during a raid on Boko Haram militants in the Sambisa Forest, a former game reserve in the country’s north-east.
Though this is a significant victory, and one that should be celebrated, it has been noted that the schoolgirls kidnapped a year ago, who brought Boko Haram to the world’s attention were not among those rescued.
Per reports in The Australian, four militant camps were cleared and destroyed, with 200 girls and 93 women rescued, but the Chibok schoolgirls, thought to have been broken up into smaller groups, were not present.
Many of the women captured by Boko Haram are used as sex slaves, or forced to fight, being used either as human shields or suicide bombers by the movement.
A multinational offensive against Boko Haram began in January, and the Nigerian military claim that the group has been driven from all major towns in the north-east of the country.
Photo: Dan Kitwood via Getty Images
