Nigerian military: 234 girls, women rescued from extremists

Nigeria’s military rescued 234 more girls and women from a Boko Haram forest stronghold in the country’s northeast, an announcement on social media said Saturday. It brings the number of females declared rescued this week to more than 677. This comes as the army deployed ground troops following weeks of punishing air raids on the Sambisa Forest. The military says it is screening the girls and women to find out what villages they came from. Some women the soldiers tried to rescue even shot at their rescuers, a military spokesman has said, indicating that some might now identify with Boko Haram after months of captivity and forced marriages. It also remains unclear if some of the women had willingly joined Boko Haram, or are family members of fighters.

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