The Boko Haram terrorist group reportedly kidnapped an additional 20 Nigerian schoolgirls near the town of Chibok, according to a new report.
The militants allegedly forced the teenage girls into vehicles and took them to a remote, unknown location in northeastern Nigeria, according to The Guardian. The group also reportedly captured three young men who attempted to stop the most recent abduction.
The radical Islamist group kidnapped nearly 300 girls in April from their school dormitories in Chibok. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the earlier kidnappings and threatened to “sell” the young women on the market. A video emerged last month showing footage of at least 100 of the girls praying and dressed in full-length, black veils.
Members of Boko Haram, who want to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria, have increased their attacks in the past few months. The most recent kidnappings occurred days after a Boko Haram attack killed more than 100 people.
The international community took to Twitter using #BringBackOurGirls to encourage the release of the teenage girls. Various world leaders and celebrities, including first lady Michelle Obama and comedian Ellen DeGeneres, united in the social-media outcry.
Uniformed Americans last month were sent to Nigeria to assist leaders in their search efforts.
