Nigeria rescues 234 more women, children from Boko Haram: Army

Nigeria has rescued 234 women and children from a Boko Haram Takfiri militant stronghold in the restive northeastern state of Borno, the army says.

The hostages were rescued on Thursday as part of an ongoing operation through the Kawuri and Konduga end of the Sambisa Forest, the military said in a Friday statement.

Military spokesman Chris Olukolade said that the operation in the forest is continuing with the aim of saving more hostages and destroying all terrorist camps.

The Nigerian military freed 293 women and children in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday and over 160 other hostages in the following days.

Boko Haram militants regularly abduct women and girls during their attacks on various Nigerian cities.

On April 14, 2014, the militants kidnapped 276 girls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in Borno.

Fifty-seven of the girls managed to escape but 219 remained in captivity, reportedly in the Sambisa Forest.

It is still unclear if the missing Chibok schoolgirls are among those rescued in recent days.

Boko Haram says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government. It has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of the country since the beginning of its militancy in 2009, which has so far left about 15,000 people dead and displaced about 1.5 million.