Boarding school killings in the northeastern Nigerian state of Yobe left 42 people dead Saturday. The gun and bomb attack was attributed to Islamist extremists believed to be from the Boko Haram terror group.
The gunmen reportedly forced students and staff into a dormitory room and then
threw explosives inside and began shooting, Agence France-Presse reported. The tragedy marked the third school attack in the region in recent weeks.
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Officials have "directed that all secondary schools in the state be closed down from Monday 8th July 2013 until a new academic session begins in September," a government statement said.
One local Yobe resident said Saturday's killings were believed to be revenge for the killing of 22 Boko Haram members during a military raid in the town of Dogon Kuka on Thursday, according to AFP.
Violence by Boko Haram — which roughly translates to "Western education is a sin" — has left some
3,600 people dead since 2009, according to The Independent.
Twitter users disgusted with the Yobe school killings spoke out on the social network.
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