Security forces in Burkina Faso have rescued 66 women and children kidnapped on January 12 and 13 by suspected militant jihadists in the north of the country, state TV reports indicate.

In an unprecedented mass kidnapping, the victims were seized while gathering food in an area hit by an insurgency. The 62 women and four babies were kidnapped in two groups on January 12 and 13 in the district of Arbinda.

Surprisingly, the women were found on a bus at a security checkpoint some 200 kilometers south of where they were taken, according to reports.

As reported, they were found in the Tougouri region, 200 kilometers further south. Helicopters flew them to Ouagadougou, the country's capital, where they were met by senior army officers.

On Friday night, state TV showed pictures of the children and women boarding a bus at an airport.

Burkina Faso has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people.

The military took power in January 2022, promising an end to attacks. A different group of officers mounted a second coup in September over a failure to end the insurgency.