At least 45 killed in attack on Nigerian village

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At least 45 people were killed in an attack at Gwaska village in northern Nigeria, officials said Sunday.

The victims were killed on Saturday afternoon when scores of suspected bandits raided Gwaska village, in Birnin-Gwari area of Kaduna state, a local vigilante group said, adding that the bandits struck at about 2:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT) and stayed for three hours before retreating to their base in the forest in Zamfara.

The group, Birnin-Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance, said 45 bodies were recovered by vigilantes and volunteers with the assistance of soldiers on Sunday afternoon.

The attack came barely a week after the killing of 14 miners at a mining site at Janruwa area of the same state.

The Kaduna state police chief, Austin Iwar, confirmed the attack, saying: "There was violence between the militias, who are very powerful, and bandits."

The state government said a battalion of the Nigerian Army would be permanently stationed in the area to halt the killings.

(With imput from AFP, Xinhua)

(Cover photo: Reuters file)

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