300 girls taken in mass school abduction

The safety of hundreds of girls is in question after they were abducted by gunmen who raided their school in Nigeria Friday.

The latest mass abduction of school children to occur in northern Nigeria happened in the early morning of Feb. 26 at Government Secondary Jangebe School, CBN News reports.

Nasiru Abdullahi's two daughters, ages 10 and 13, are among the 300 girls reported missing by the school, the father told the Associated Press.

The gunmen behind the attack reportedly attacked a nearby military camp and checkpoint in addition to the school to prevent soldiers from interfering in the abduction, a resident reports.

It was not clear at the time whether there were any casualties as a result of the attacks.

In the Zamfara state where the attacks occurred, the government says several groups of armed men operate. They are referred to as bandits and will kidnap people for money and to negotiate the release of their own group members from jail.

These attacks are not unfamiliar to residents in the nation. Most notably, the mass abduction of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, a jihadist group, in April 2014 is remembered. More than 100 of the girls taken remain missing.

Just two weeks prior to Friday's attack, gunmen abducted 42 people from the Government Science College Kagara in Niger State. Students, teachers, and family members were taken and have not been released.

UNICEF representative Peter Hawkins says the attacks are disturbing.

"We are angered and saddened by yet another brutal attack on schoolchildren in Nigeria," Hawkins says.

"This is a gross violation of children’s rights and a horrific experience for children to go through."

Hawkins is calling for the immediate release of those abducted.

Human Rights Watch researcher Anietie Ewang says the recent abductions need a strong reaction.

"Strong action is required from the authorities to turn the tide (and) keep schools safe," Ewang says in a tweet.