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Nigeria’s military announced Wednesday that 62 hostages were rescued and two militants were killed in a pair of operations against armed groups, a report said.
The development comes after more than 160 worshippers were kidnapped from two churches in Nigeria on Sunday by gangs. It’s unclear if any of the worshippers are among the hostages rescued.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba told Reuters that Nigerian forces raided a location in the northwestern Zamfara state after receiving tips that captives were being held there.
The 62 rescued hostages are now in safe custody and are in the process of being reunited with their families, Reuters reported, citing the army.
GUNMEN ABDUCT DOZENS OF WORSHIPPERS FROM MULTIPLE NIGERIAN CHURCHES
Nigerian soldiers drive around in pick-ups during training at a military base in Borno state, Nigeria, on July 5, 2025. (Joris Bolomey/AFP via Getty Images)
In a separate operation, Nigerian soldiers ambushed militants in the border area between the Kebbi and Sokoto states, Osoba added.
Sunday’s church kidnapping incident, which the BBC said targeted both Christians and Muslims, marks the latest mass kidnapping in Nigeria’s long-running streak of religiously fueled attacks.
Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.
NIGERIA NAMED EPICENTER OF GLOBAL KILLINGS OF CHRISTIANS OVER FAITH IN 2025, REPORT SAYS
The Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church in Nigeria’s Kaduna state is pictured on Jan. 20, 2026, following a weekend attack by gunmen and kidnappings of worshippers. (Nuhu Gwamna/Reuters)
Muslim Fulani militants frequently carry out violence in northern and central parts of Nigeria to bankrupt Christian communities while receiving ransom payments.
Kaduna state police said gunmen armed with “sophisticated weapons” attacked two churches in the village of Kurmin Wali in Afogo ward at about 11:25 a.m. on Sunday, Reuters reported.
An exterior view of the ECWA Church after a recent attack by gunmen in which worshippers were kidnapped in Nigeria’s Kaduna state. (Nuhu Gwamna/Reuters)
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While Kaduna state police on Monday reportedly cited conservative figures, saying dozens were being held captive as the investigation remains in its early stages, a senior church leader noted that more than 160 worshippers were abducted by gunmen over the weekend.
Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.