In Nigeria, the air force says it has rescued 76 kidnap victims — mostly women and children — after a precision strike on a bandit stronghold in Katsina State.

The operation, carried out at Pauwa Hill, targeted a gang leader known as Babaro. He’s believed to be behind last week’s deadly attack on a mosque in the region.

Authorities confirmed that at least one child sadly lost their life during the mission. It’s not yet clear if there were other casualties among the victims or the armed gang.

Security watchers say this could be a turning point in the fight against criminal groups that have terrorised rural communities in north-west Nigeria for years.

The mission is part of a wider military campaign. Just earlier this month, the air force announced it had killed 35 fighters in the north-east, near the Cameroon border. Officials add that nearly 600 armed militia members have been taken out in similar operations over the past eight months.