At least 27 people were killed in a brutal attack by gunmen during Fajr prayers at a mosque in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state. Several others were reported injured, according to local village leaders and hospital officials, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The attack took place around 4 a.m. on Tuesday at a mosque in the remote village of Unguwan Mantau in the Malumfashi area, where worshippers were performing their prayers. Armed assailants suddenly entered and opened fire indiscriminately, killing many on the spot and leaving several seriously wounded.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, such violence is common in northwestern and north-central Nigeria. Longstanding conflicts between farmers and herders over land and water resources are often cited as the main cause of these attacks. In June, a similar incident in north-central Nigeria resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people.
Nasir Mu’azu, Commissioner of Katsina State, stated that the military and police have been deployed to Unguwan Mantau following the attack. He added that during the rainy season, gunmen often hide among farm crops and launch attacks on local communities.