Islamists strike as rescue effort starts

Islamic extremists blew up a bridge, killed an unknown number of people, and abducted the wife and children of a retired police officer in north-east Nigeria over the weekend as as an international effort got underway to rescue 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militants.

News of the attack came amid growing condemnation by Muslims in Nigeria and abroad against the Boko Haram terrorist network.

Meanwhile, one of the teenagers who escaped from Boko Haram’s grip said that the kidnapping was “too terrifying for words”, and that she is scared to go back to school.