At least 27 worshippers were killed and several others injured when armed bandits stormed a mosque during early morning prayers in Unguwan Mantau, a remote village in Katsina State’s Malumfashi local government area.

The attack occurred around 4:00 GMT on Tuesday, as Muslims gathered for prayers. According to local residents and a hospital official, the gunmen opened fire inside the mosque, causing chaos and mass casualties. No group has claimed responsibility.

Such attacks have become increasingly common in Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central regions, where violent clashes between herders and farmers over land and water access have escalated. The conflict has grown deadlier, with more armed herdsmen involved and attacks often taking place during the rainy season, when gunmen hide among crops to ambush communities.

In response, security forces have been deployed to the area to prevent further violence, according to state commissioner Nasir Mu’azu.

This incident follows other recent violent outbreaks in the region, including a deadly assault in Benue State that killed over 100 people, prompting Amnesty International to call on the government to stop the “almost daily bloodshed.”