Residents of Ngbra Zongo community in Kwall District of Bassa Local Government Area of were thrown into panic on Friday morning after unknown gunmen reportedly killed at least 13 persons in a fresh attack on the community.

Several other residents were also said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries during the violent assault.

A resident of the area, Mr. Philip Alanga, told journalists in Jos that the attackers stormed the community at about midnight, shooting indiscriminately before attacking residents with machetes and other dangerous weapons.

According to him, the assailants moved from house to house, targeting innocent residents and leaving behind destruction and sorrow.

“They came into the community around midnight and started shooting and hacking people to death. They moved from one house to another, attacking innocent people,” Alanga said.

He added that many residents fled into nearby bushes in an attempt to escape the violence, while several injured victims were left in urgent need of medical attention.

Confirming the incident, the Secretary General of the Irigwe Development Association (IDA), Mr. Danjuma Auta, described the attack as barbaric, tragic, and condemnable.

The latest assault has further heightened tension in , which has witnessed repeated attacks in recent weeks linked to bandits and suspected Fulani militia operating in parts of the state.

Security agencies were yet to issue an official statement on the attack as of the time of filing this report.