ABUJA
\nThe Nigerian Air Force has rescued 76 kidnap victims, including women and children, after a precision air strike on a bandit stronghold in northwest Katsina State, authorities said on Saturday.
\nThe operation, targeting Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area, was part of a manhunt for a gang leader named Babaro who has been linked to a mosque attack last week in the town of Malumfashi in northwest Nigeria.
\nOne child died during the rescue, the state\u2019s Internal Security Ministry said, but it was not clear if there were any other casualties among the kidnap victims or the gang members.
\nThe Air Force did not immediately respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment.
\nThe air strike could mark a breakthrough in efforts to dismantle criminal networks in northwest Nigeria, where armed gangs have terrorized rural communities for years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ABUJA The Nigerian Air Force has rescued 76 kidnap victims, including women and children, after a precision air strike on a bandit stronghold in northwest Katsina State, authorities said on Saturday. The operation, targeting Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area, was part of a manhunt for a gang leader named Babaro who has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-498797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n