Death toll from terrorist attack on Nigerian mosque rises to 50

The death toll from an attack by terrorists on a mosque and nearby homes in Nigeria's northwest Katsina state has risen to at least 50, with around 60 others abducted, local officials and residents said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred early on Tuesday in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau, in Malumfashi district, as Muslim worshippers gathered for Fajr, the dawn prayer.

Witnesses reported that armed assailants arrived on motorcycles, opening fire inside the mosque before moving through the village.

Aminu Ibrahim, a lawmaker representing Malumfashi, said at least 30 people were killed and 20 others burned alive in what he described as a series of brutal attacks on the community.

Attackers nabbed

Katsina police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu said officers intercepted the attackers and successfully prevented a planned assault on two villages. But while fleeing through Mantau, the attackers opened fire on residents.