Vigils Held for 147 Victims Killed in Recent Garissa University Terrorist Attack

As multiple vigils are held for the 147 students killed last week in the Garissa State University terrorist attack in Kenya, the country's government has continued to participate in air strikes against the terrorist group that took responsibility for the attacks.

The attacks took place last week at Garissa State University in eastern Kenya, when masked gunmen stormed the university's dormitories, killing many and taking others, mostly Christian, hostage. A total of 147 people were killed in the attack.

Since the April 2 massacre, vigils have been held for the young students killed in the act of terrorism. On Easter Sunday, several Christians gathered at a Catholic Church in Garissa to hold a vigil for those killed in the attack.

"We join the sufferings of the relatives and the victims with the sufferings of Jesus," Bishop Joseph Alessandro of Our Lady of Consolation Church said in a statement, as reported by The Christian Post. "The victims will rise again with Christ."

On Tuesday night, Kenyans gathered in Nairobi's Uhuru Park for a prayer vigil, where they planted 147 crosses in the ground in remembrance of those killed in the attack.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan government is continuing its airstrikes against the al-Shabaab terror group, which took responsibility for the April 2 attack.

An official with Kenya's military told CNN that the recent airstrikes are not a response to the recent Garissa attacks, but rather are an ongoing effort to stop the al-Shabaab terror group's spread.

"The latest attack of Al-Shabaab bases by the Kenya military is part of the ongoing operations that started in 2011. It is not a retaliation to the Garissa attack. The operation has been ongoing," the military source told the media outlet this week.