U.S. spy planes hunting Boko Haram abductees spot "large groups of girls"

Islamist Boko Haram militants. Photo: Reuters


Islamist Boko Haram militants. Photo: Reuters

Hopeful news for those following the plight of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, from today's Wall Street Journal.

"Recent U.S. surveillance flights over northeastern Nigeria showed what appeared to be large groups of girls held together in remote locations, raising hopes among domestic and foreign officials that they are among the group that Boko Haram abducted from a boarding school in April, U.S. and Nigerian officials said."

If the imaging shows what experts believe it shows, some of the 219 schoolgirls were not forced into marriage or sexual slavery, as feared, "but instead are being used as bargaining chips for the release of prisoners."