Terrorists in Nigeria burned a boarding school to the ground overnight, killing dozens of students inside.
This is the latest attack officials are blaming on Boko Haram — the same al-Qaeda linked militant group responsible for killing thousands of Nigerian civilians since its uprising in 2009. (Via CNN )
In this instance, the attackers “struck at night, slitting the throats of some students,” according to the BBC. All of the students killed were boys.
In its struggle for an Islamic state, the Sunni group has tended to go after civilians, targeting mosques, churches and especially Western-style schools. (Via The New York Times, Al Jazeera, CNN)
Boko Haram, with a name that translates to "western education is forbidden," has denounced these schools as a "plot against Islam."
Both the U.S. and Nigeria have designated Boko Haram a terrorist organization. Nigeria’s military launched a failed offensive to crush the group. In return, the group stepped up its attacks. (Via Voice of America , Arise News Channel )
In a news conference Monday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan defended the army’s attempt to crush Boko Haram's uprising, pointing to some successes. (Via Channels Television )
To prevent the insurgents from fleeing the country, Jonathan said his government was coordinating with Cameroon to secure the border.
