The United States on Thursday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the terrorist attack against a school in northeastern Nigeria by gunmen late Monday.
Militants, believed to be linked to the terrorist group Boko Haram, attacked a state-run boarding school for girls, as well as markets and places of worship in Yobe state. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said US officials are still trying to gather the details of the attack Police officials say as 111 schoolgirls remain unaccounted for following the attack.
"The choice of targets including schools, markets and places of worship reflect the brutality of terror organizations," Nauert said in a press briefing. "The victims in the attack were girls who were simply seeking an education. We want to extend our condolences to the students and to their families affected by these terrorist attacks, and are concerned that some of the students are still not accounted for," she went on.
The US continues to support Nigerian efforts to counter terrorist groups, as well as the country's efforts "to enable more than two million displaced in the Lake Chad region to return home safely," Nauert said.
She pledged that the US will offer humanitarian assistance to those affected by the violence.