Armed bandits launched a deadly attack on worshippers in Zamfara State on Friday morning, killing at least five people and abducting several others during early morning prayers.

The incident occurred at a mosque in Yandoto village, Tsafe Local Government Area, when the assailants stormed the prayer ground and opened fire indiscriminately. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen arrived at dawn, shooting at worshippers and causing panic in the community.

In addition to those killed, an unspecified number of worshippers were abducted and taken into the nearby forest. Several others sustained injuries. The Zamfara State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said he had yet to receive a full briefing from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent assaults on places of worship in Tsafe LGA. Just last week, gunmen stormed Gidan Turbe village during dawn prayers and abducted about 40 worshippers.

Meanwhile, in a separate tragedy, more than 100 illegal miners are feared dead after a gold pit collapsed on Thursday in Kadauri village, Maru LGA. Witnesses said dozens of miners were trapped underground, and at least eight bodies have so far been recovered and buried in Mekwanugga village. Rescue efforts reportedly led to further casualties as some rescuers suffocated in the process.

These back-to-back tragedies highlight the worsening insecurity and economic desperation in Zamfara, where communities continue to bear the brunt of armed violence and unsafe mining practices.