After two years in captivity, 21 of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria, in 2014 have been released, the Nigerian government confirmed Thursday. The girls, who have not been named, are in the custody of the national security agency.
The government said the girls' release is "the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government." Few details were offered on the specifics of the deal, but the government did say that "negotiations will continue."
Boko Haram kidnapped 270 girls from their school in April 2014, sparking international outrage. While some of the girls escaped, more than 200 remain missing.
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Reuters reported that since Boko Haram launched an effort seven years ago in northeast Nigeria to create an Islamic state, more than two million people have been displaced and 15,000 have died.
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