At least 360 people kidnapped by Boko Haram jihadists from a community in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state in March have been freed from a remote mountain hideout.
The former hostages received medical screenings and were gathered under trees overnight.
The circumstances of their release are disputed. The Nigerian Army says it carried out an intelligence-led operation that took the militants by surprise. But a local group, the Borno South Youth Initiative, says it mediated an unconditional release, putting the number freed at 416.
Military spokesperson Lt-Col Haruna M Sani described the assault on Boko Haram's Mandara mountain hideout as one of the military's most significant hostage rescue operations in the northeast.
Special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, said two infants died due to exhaustion from prolonged captivity. The government has faced heavy criticism for widespread insecurity across Nigeria.
The captives come from around Ngoshe, a mainly Muslim community near the border with Cameroon. The area was attacked in early March as people were breaking their Ramadan fast.
Some captives are believed to have escaped into Cameroon, and efforts are underway for their safe return. Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009 and while it no longer controls large territory, it remains active and dangerous.