Hundreds of captives have been pulled from a Boko Haram mountain hideout in a dawn operation. UK-funded rescue teams are being credited for the intelligence and logistics. Sources tell me this is a significant blow to the terror group's operational capability.
The raid, codenamed 'Operation Safe Haven,' saw Nigerian Special Forces storm a fortified camp in the Sambisa Forest. Around 200 women and children were found in squalid conditions, according to initial reports. The captives are being flown to a secure processing centre in Maiduguri.
Whitehall sources are buzzing. One official described the UK's role as 'pivotal.' It is understood that British intelligence officers provided satellite imagery and communications intercepts. The UK also funded the training of the rescue teams through a £5M counter-terrorism programme. The Foreign Office is expected to confirm the details later today.
But don't expect the government to shout from the rooftops. There is a delicate balance here. The UK does not have troops on the ground in Nigeria. And the last thing Downing Street wants is to be drawn into a prolonged counter-insurgency campaign. The official line will be 'supporting our partners' while stressing that this was a Nigerian-led operation. I hear the PM was briefed at 6am. He gave the green light for the UK assets to be used.
Opposition MPs are already circling. Some Labour backbenchers are questioning the lack of parliamentary oversight. One senior Labour source told me: 'We are inching towards a new war without a vote.' The government will push back hard. They will point to the humanitarian imperative. But the political battle lines are being drawn.
The rescue itself was not without cost. There were casualties on both sides. Two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the initial assault. Boko Haram fighters reportedly died in double figures. The captives are traumatised but alive. Doctors on the ground describe cases of severe malnutrition and abuse.
This is a win for the government's 'Global Britain' agenda. But it carries risks. The intelligence operation is likely to be scrutinised by the Intelligence and Security Committee. And there will be calls for the UK to do more. The humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin is deepening. Boko Haram still holds hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. No. 10 will hope this success buys them time. But the clock is ticking.
For now, the focus is on the survivors. And on the quiet diplomacy that made the rescue possible.
