At least 40 people have been reportedly killed during a bandit attack in Zurak village in Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The gunmen reportedly invaded the community in large numbers and killed many residents, including members of the Vigilance Corps.

A resident of the area told Daily Trust on Tuesday that the incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday, when people were going about their normal activities.

The source said they could not immediately report the incident due to the poor communication network in the area.

A youth leader in the community, Sahpi’i Sambo, who also confirmed the incident, disclosed that the bandits arrived at the community on motorcycles – two on a bike – with sophisticated weapons and started shooting sporadically.

He said: “More than 40 people were killed while many injured. Residents of the village have fled to neighbouring communities for cover.

“As of yesterday, security personnel had not yet arrived at the community. It was deadly,” Mr Sambo said.

Meanwhile, the state government and the security agencies have yet to comment on the incident as of the time of filing the report.