At least 27 people were killed and several others wounded Tuesday when gunmen attacked a mosque during morning prayers in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state, officials said.
Gunmen opened fire inside a mosque as Muslims gathered to pray at around 04:00 GMT in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau in Malumfashi local government area, residents said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are common in Nigeria's northwestern and north-central regions, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water.
The attacks have killed and injured scores - last month, an attack in north-central Nigeria killed 150 people. The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms.
The state's commissioner, Nasir Mu'azu, said the army and police have deployed in the area of Unguwan Mantau to prevent further attacks, adding that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities.
