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Hostages freed in Nigeria clashes Hostages freed in Nigerian city
(about 2 hours later)
Police in Nigeria have freed more than 180 women and children from a house in the north of the country where they had been held by a radical Islamist sect. Nigerian police have freed more than 180 women and children being held by a radical Islamist sect in a building in the northern city of Maiduguri.
They told the BBC they were held for six days and lived on dates and water. They told the BBC they had been held six days, living on dates and water.
They were rescued in Maiduguri, where heavy fighting continues between troops and militants of the Boko Haram sect. Heavy fighting continues in Maiduguri where troops are besieging militants of the Boko Haram sect in an enclave.
Boko Haram is blamed for attacks on police stations and government sites in northern Nigeria, triggering violence that has killed at least 150 people. Boko Haram is blamed for attacks on police stations and government sites in the north this week that led to the deaths of at least 150 people.
The women and children were said to have been abducted from the town of Bauchi, where the violence erupted on Sunday. 'Foreign involvement'
Nigeria's 'Taliban' enigma Eyewitness: Nigeria attacks Fear and tension after attack
Boko Haram is led by Mohammed Yusuf, who has his base in Maiduguri, capital of Borno province.Boko Haram is led by Mohammed Yusuf, who has his base in Maiduguri, capital of Borno province.
Nigeria's 'Taliban' enigma Eyewitness: Nigeria attacks Fear and tension after attack
About 1,000 people are inside the Maiduguri enclave, according to the military.
Security forces flooded into Maiduguri and began attacking Mohammed Yusuf's compound on Tuesday, shelling it with heavy weapons and exchanging gunfire with militants.Security forces flooded into Maiduguri and began attacking Mohammed Yusuf's compound on Tuesday, shelling it with heavy weapons and exchanging gunfire with militants.
The fierce fighting continued through the night and into Wednesday. Fierce fighting continued through the night and into Wednesday.
The officer commanding the operation, Col Ben Ahanotu, told the BBC the militants were well-armed and keeping up a steady stream of fire. The militants are well-armed and have been keeping up a steady stream of fire, the officer commanding the operation, Col Ben Ahanotu, told the BBC.
He said there were at least 250 armed men guarding Mohammed Yusuf's home, also the headquarters of the sect. He said there were at least 250 armed men guarding Mohammed Yusuf's home, which is also the headquarters of the sect.
'Foreigners' Col Ahanotu told the BBC that papers and personal items found on the bodies of young men indicated that many had come from neighbouring Chad and Niger.
There were about another 1,000 people inside the enclave, all believed to be followers of Boko Haram. Newborn babies
Col Ahanotu also said that papers and personal items found on the bodies of the young men that have been killed indicated that many of them were not Nigerian and appear to have come from neighbouring Chad and Niger. Police in Maiduguri said they had discovered a building full of women and children who were being imprisoned on the edge of the city.
President Yar'Adua said 'a potentially dangerous problem' had been tackled Bodies of suspected Islamists lay outside Maiduguri's police HQ
Four states in northern Nigeria have been affected by the violence involving Boko Haram - Borno, Bauchi, Kano and Yobe. Those freed on Wednesday morning were mostly young women - mothers with small children, some of them nursing newborn babies.
Boko Haram is against Western education. It believes Nigeria's government is being corrupted by Western ideas and wants to see Islamic law imposed across Nigeria. President Umaru Yar'Adua has ordered Nigeria's national security agencies to take all necessary action to contain and repel attacks by the extremists. Many of the women told the BBC their husbands were followers of Boko Haram, and that they had been forced to travel to Maiduguri.
"These people have been organising, penetrating our societies, procuring arms, learning how to make explosives and bombs to disturb the peace and force abuse on the rest of Nigerians," he said before departing on a trip to Brazil. It is understood all of the women are from Bauchi State, the BBC's Caroline Duffield reports from Lagos.
Advertisement In other states in northern Nigeria, reports are emerging of abductions linked to Boko Haram.
The aftermath of gun battles with the militants In Katsina State, 10 members of two families went missing last week.
Maiduguri police said 103 had died in the violence in the city, including 90 members of Boko Haram. Pictures from Monday in Bauchi show the aftermath of violence
In Bauchi, scene of the first bloodshed on Sunday, 176 people remain under arrest. At least 39 people were killed in Bauchi. Husbands told the BBC their wives and children had been offered the chance to learn the Koran by a cleric, after which they had been abducted.
They believe their loved ones are now in Maiduguri with, the men fear, Boko Haram.
One Maiduguri resident, Adamu Yari, told Reuters news agency that soldiers and police were combing the whole city, searching house to house for Boko Haram followers.
Four states in northern Nigeria have been affected by Boko Haram unrest - Borno, Bauchi, Kano and Yobe.
Boko Haram says it is fighting against Western education. It believes Nigeria's government is being corrupted by Western ideas and wants to see Islamic law imposed across Nigeria.
President Umaru Yar'Adua earlier ordered Nigeria's national security agencies to take all necessary action to contain and repel attacks by the extremists.
A total of 103 deaths were officially reported in Maiduguri and reports say more than 50 people died in Bauchi and Yobe, but the true number of casualties may be much greater.
Sharia law is in place across northern Nigeria, but there is no history of al-Qaeda-linked violence in the country.Sharia law is in place across northern Nigeria, but there is no history of al-Qaeda-linked violence in the country.
The country's 150 million people are split almost equally between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south.The country's 150 million people are split almost equally between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south.
Are you in Nigeria? Have you been affected by the clashes? Send us your comments.Are you in Nigeria? Have you been affected by the clashes? Send us your comments.
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