More women children freed from Boko Haram

(MENAFN- Arab News) MAIDUGURI Nigeria: A day after the Nigerian Army celebrated the rescue of 200 girls and 93 women in the forest stronghold of Boko Haram the army's spokesman said more women and children believed to have been abducted by the rebels were rescued as firefights broke out there.
Several lives were lost including that of a soldier and a woman during shootouts in nine separate militant camps in the Sambisa Forest according to a statement from Col. Sani Usman. He said eight women sustained gunshot wounds and four soldiers were seriously injured.
Some of the females who were freed earlier have been so transformed by their captivity that they opened fire on their rescuers authorities have said.
'The important thing is that Nigerians were held captive under very severe and inhuman conditions have been freed by our gallant troops' defense spokesman Chris Olukolade said.
He told reporters in Abuja the army would 'comprehensively' clean out the forest adding: 'There is great hope for the recovery of more hostages of the terrorists.'
The army spokesman said several Boko Haram field commanders and foot soldiers were killed and combat tanks and munitions of high caliber used by Boko Haram were recovered while others were destroyed.
'The troops have also rescued additional women and children' the statement said without saying how many were rescued. 'They have been evacuated to a safety zone for further processing.'
The military was flying in medical and intelligence teams to evaluate the former captives many of whom were severely traumatized Usman said earlier.
It remained unclear if any of the schoolgirls kidnapped from the northeastern town of Chibok a year ago were to be among the 200 girls and 93 women whose rescue was announced on Tuesday.
The plight of the schoolgirls who have become known as 'the Chibok girls' aroused international outrage and a campaign for their release under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Their kidnapping brought Boko Haram whose nickname means 'Western education is forbidden' in the local Hausa language to the world's attention. Of the Chibok girls 219 remain missing.