Local authorities in Nigeria's northwestern state of Katsina have confirmed that a military operation had rescued some 76 hostages, many of them children, who were being held by "bandits."

The group were freed after a series of precision airstrikes on group's camp.

Nasir Mu'azu, state commissioner for internal security, said airstrikes are now "part of a broader strategy to dismantle criminal hideouts, weaken their networks and put an end to the cycle of killings, kidnappings, and extortion that have plagued innocent citizens."

Uptick in clashes

Gangs of "bandits" and Islamist extremist militias have plagued remote parts of Nigeria for years, despite efforts by President Bola Tinubu and his predecessors to curb the attacks.

The group rescued on Saturday were believed to be part of a group taken in an assault on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau last week, which killed 50 people.

At the same time, the military launched an airstrike on a militant camp in northeastern Nigeria, where clashes with insurgents have claimed 35,000 lives and displaced 2 million people, according to the United Nations.

Authorities have noted an uptick in clashes between farmers in rural areas of Nigeria in recent months as well, as various groups fight over access to water and land.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery