Gunfire, explosion heard as extremists attack Nigerian business schoolMay 8, 2015 - 12:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Gunfire and an explosion came from a business school in northeast Nigeria on Friday, May 8, as it was attacked by suspected Boko Haram extremists, the Associated Press reports. The Associated Press says its reporter watched soldiers and police officers rush to the College of Administrative and Business Studies in Potiskum, where they have engaged the attackers in a firefight. Potiskum is the biggest town in Yobe state. It was too early to know if there are casualties. The gunmen arrived around 8 a.m. (0700 GMT) and opened fire at the school gate, witnesses said. Security guards ran away and it was not immediately clear if they had guns. The attackers kept shooting as they jumped the school wall and detonated a bomb at the student dorm, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity because they fear reprisals. They said they believed most students were already in classrooms. It is the first school attack reported since a 3-month-old multinational offensive has driven Boko Haram out of towns and villages seized last year. Boko Haram means "Western education is sinful." Troops from neighboring countries joined the fight as Nigeria's home-grown Islamic extremist group began attacking across borders. Nigeria's military says the main fighting force of Boko Haram has fled to strongholds in the vast Sambisa Forest, where Nigerian troops this month rescued nearly 700 girls and women held in captivity by the insurgents and destroyed about 20 camps. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |