Gunmen kill 17 in northwestern Nigeria: authorities

On Tuesday, armed assailants attacked an unauthorized mining operation and a settlement in northwestern Nigeria's Zamfara state, resulting in the deaths of 17 individuals, according to local officials. The marauders, who have long posed a threat to rural communities in the north and central regions of the country, stormed the mine outside Bindin village in Maru district, killing five miners before moving on to the village.

There, they engaged in a firefight with 12 soldiers, killing all of them, according to authorities. Local village leader Abdullahi Musa Mutunji confirmed the fatalities, explaining that the soldiers' deaths were a response to the killing of a bandit by miners who had threatened him. Lawan Wanzam, whose son was among the miners killed, told AFP that the attack was allegedly organized by a local gang leader.

Gangs are known to target workers in the informal gold mining sector, demanding control of mining sites and a share of the gold they extract. The military did not respond to AFP's inquiries for further information.