Groups of armed gunmen abducted 25 girls, killed one staff member and injured another at a high school in northwestern Nigeria just before dawn on Monday (November 17), police announced via the Associated Press .

The incident took place at 4:00 a.m. local time at a boarding school in Maga, according to police spokesperson Nafi'u Abubakar Kotarkoshi . The suspects were described as having "sophisticated weapons" and exchanged fire with guards prior to abducting the girls, according to Kotarkoshi.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident as of Monday.

“A combined team is currently combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in a coordinated search and rescue operation aimed at recovering the abducted students and arresting the perpetrators,” Kotarkoshi sa

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