Nigeria army says it has rescued 200 girls and 93 women

It came during a military operation to wrest back the Sambisa Forest in the north east of the country from the Islamist militant group. 

However, it has been confirmed that those rescued were not the girls who were kidnapped from the village of Chibok a year ago.

The army posted on their Twitter feed: 'Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls and 93 women from Sambisa Forest. 

'We cannot confirm if the Chibok girls are in this group,' it said, adding that Nigerian troops had also destroyed three camps run by the militants.

Diplomats and intelligence officials say they believed at least some of the girls were being held in the forest about 60 miles from Chibok, although U.S. reconnaissance drones failed to find them.

Nigerian forces backed by warplanes invaded the vast former colonial game reserve late last week as part of a push to win back territory from the group.

Colonel Sani Usman said: 'The troops rescued 200 abducted girls and 93 women.

'They were not, however, from Chibok, the village from which more than 200 girls were abducted in April 2014.

'So far, they (the army) have destroyed and cleared Sassa, Tokumbere and two other camps in the general area of Alafa, all within the Sambisa forest.'

The rescued girls and women will be screened on Wednesday to determine whether they had been abducted or if they were married to the militants, one intelligence source said.

'Now they are excited about their freedom,' he added. 

'Tomorrow there will also be screenings to determine whether they are Boko Haram wives, whether they are from Chibok, how long they have been in the camps, and if they have children.'

Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls near the northern village of Chibok in April 2014, sparking international outcry.

They were taken away in trucks on the night of April 14 to 15, after the terrorists from Boko Haram - meaning 'Western education is sinful' - broke into their school by pretending to be guards.

The students were forced to convert to Islam and marry group members.

(dailymail.co.uk)