A large number of armed bandits on Tuesday killed no fewer than 11 persons in an attack on Katoge and Yanturaku communities in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina, police said on Wednesday.

Thirteen persons were also injured in the attack that lasted for hours after the gunmen arrived at the communities around 07:15 p.m.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the communities with sophisticated weapons while residents observed evening prayers in the mosque and shot sporadically for hours.

The police spokesman in the state, Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident in a statement.

“Yesterday, 9 November 2021, at about 1915hrs, bandits in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked Katoge and Yanturaku quarters of Batsari LGA, killed eleven (11) and injured thirteen (13) persons,” Mr Isah said.

He added that the state commissioner of police had deployed personnel to beef up security in the area.

Meanwhile, local sources said 13 people were killed in the attack, as the bandits went from house to house to loot valuables and foodstuff.

Also, several people, mostly women, were abducted in the attack that lasted for hours, as the shutdown of telecommunications services across the area hindered the residents from seeking security assistance.

The government of Katsina had in September shut down network services in some parts of the state as a measure to curtail insecurity.

The affected local government areas include Funtua, Bakori, Jibiya, Malulfashi, Faskari, Batsari and Danmusa, Sabuwa, Kankara, Dutsinma, Kurfi, Safana and Dandume.