Two students were killed and 46 others were rescued after Nigerian troops foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters at a secondary school in Borno State, military authorities said.
The attack happened at Government Day Secondary School in Lassa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where students were sitting for their examinations when gunmen stormed the school.
According to the military, troops quickly responded to the attack and engaged the insurgents in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon many of the captives and flee.
Military sources said 46 students were rescued during the operation, while efforts are continuing to find those still missing. Two students were confirmed dead during the attack.
A teacher who was rescued credited the soldiers' swift response for saving many lives.
"The soldiers arrived very fast with superior firepower.
The terrorists could not withstand the troops and abandoned many of us before escaping," the teacher said.
The attempted abduction is the latest in a series of attacks on schools in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram and its ISWAP splinter group have repeatedly targeted students and teachers. The insurgency has displaced millions of people and left thousands dead over the past decade.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has directed security agencies and local officials to continue search-and-rescue operations until every missing student is accounted for. Community leaders have also joined efforts to trace those who fled into nearby bushes during the attack.
The latest attack has renewed concerns about the safety of schools in Nigeria's northeast, more than a decade after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls' abduction drew global attention to the threat posed by extremist groups.
Authorities say security operations in the area have been intensified to prevent further attacks on schools and surrounding communities.
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