Terrorists have launched a fresh attack in Kaduna State, killing three persons and abducting a Catholic priest around 3:20 a.m. on Saturday, the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan said.

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, with profound sadness, we announce the kidnapping of our priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, Kauru LGA of Kaduna State,” said the statement signed by Diocesan Chancellor Jacob Shanet.

“Fr. Nathaniel was kidnapped alongside 10 other people at Karku, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” the statement added.

The Kaduna Police Command confirmed the attack, explaining that the victims who died were security agents who battled the “bandits” in a gun duel.

“Security agents exchanged gunfire with the bandits, killed some of them, and unfortunately, two soldiers and a police officer lost their lives,” Reuters cited the spokesperson as saying.

Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern over what he claimed were unchecked killings of Christians. The government bombed sections of Sokoto State on Christmas day to caution terrorists and vowed to launch further missile strikes if the killings continued.

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith last week flayed the Tinubu administration for spending $9 million on Republican lobbyists to downplay the severity of the alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria.