Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued 10 candidates writing the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination and teachers abducted during Monday’s terrorist attack on a secondary school in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims were freed during a coordinated air and ground rescue operation launched shortly after suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters stormed the Technical Secondary School while students were sitting for their examination.
According to the military, the attack occurred around 9:00 a.m., prompting an immediate deployment of troops supported by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft and strike platforms from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI.
Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East, Captain Mohammed Goni, said troops tracked the fleeing insurgents to the Daggu area, where they engaged them in a gun battle.
The operation led to the rescue of 10 abducted victims, all of whom were recovered unharmed. Soldiers also recovered seven motorcycles believed to have been used by the attackers during the abduction.
Efforts are continuing to rescue the remaining victims.
The military, however, confirmed that one soldier and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) lost their lives during the exchange of fire.
Captain Goni described their deaths as a sacrifice made in the ongoing fight against insurgency, noting that security forces remain committed to protecting civilians and restoring peace across the North-East.
Earlier reports indicated that the terrorists invaded the school while candidates were writing the NECO examination, firing sporadically before abducting students, teachers and women selling food around the school premises.
Initial accounts from residents also suggested that teachers and students were killed during the attack, although authorities have yet to confirm the exact casualty figures.
The Borno State Police Command had earlier confirmed the abduction and announced the deployment of additional security personnel to the area. Police spokesperson Nahum Daso said security operatives confronted the attackers shortly after the incident, preventing what he described as a larger-scale abduction.
The military has since reinforced security around Lassa and neighbouring communities while search operations continue to locate the remaining abductees.
Operation HADIN KAI urged members of the public to rely on verified information from official sources, assuring that updates would be provided as rescue operations progress.
