Security forces in Burkina Faso have rescued 66 women and children after they were kidnapped by suspected militant jihadists in the north of the country last week, state TV reports. This mass kidnapping was an unprecedented event, as the victims were seized while gathering food in an area hit by an insurgency.

Reports indicate that the women and children were found on a bus at a security checkpoint some 200km (125 miles) south of where they were taken. It is not yet clear if their captors have also been detained.

On Friday night, state TV showed pictures of the children and women, some with babies on their backs, boarding a bus at an airport after being addressed by a military officer. The reporter on the scene stated, “They have found freedom after eight long days in the hands of their kidnappers.”

The victims are now in the capital, Ouagadougou, where they are expected to be questioned to find out “more about their abductors, their detention, and their convoy”, according to a security source who spoke with the AFP news agency. The women and children were kidnapped in two groups on 12th and 13th of January in the district of Arbinda.

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The region has been severely impacted by the ongoing insurgency, with roads in and out of the area blocked by militant jihadists. The situation has resulted in severe hunger, as food supplies are limited, and the humanitarian situation is desperate. Last month, protesters in Arbinda broke into warehouses to get food and supplies.

Burkina Faso as a whole has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people. The military took power last January, promising an end to attacks, but despite this, the violence has continued. The situation was further complicated when a different group of officers mounted a second coup in September, citing a failure to end the insurgency.

This mass kidnapping highlights the ongoing crisis in Burkina Faso and the dire situation faced by the people living in the affected regions. It is a reminder that the situation needs to be addressed urgently and that the safety and well-being of the people must be at the forefront of any efforts to bring an end to the insurgency.