At least 27 worshippers were killed during dawn prayers when armed assailants stormed a mosque in Katsina state, Nigeria, early Tuesday morning.

Local residents reported that gunmen opened fire inside the mosque in the remote community of Unguwan Matau around 4 a.m. Worshippers scattered in panic, but the attackers also targeted those fleeing. Several others were injured.

No group has yet claimed responsibility. Authorities have deployed military and police forces to the area.

Deadly armed raids are increasingly common in Nigeria’s northwest and central regions, often fueled by land and water disputes between herders and farmers. In June, more than 100 people were killed in a similar attack in north-central Nigeria.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that at least 652 children have died from malnutrition and hunger in Nigeria’s Katsina State between January and June 2025. The crisis has been exacerbated by a significant reduction in international aid, particularly from the US, UK, and EU. MSF noted a 208% increase in the number of severely malnourished children compared to last year. The UN World Food Programme has already announced the suspension of aid to 1.3 million people by the end of July. Insecurity, armed robbery, and mass displacement have further complicated the humanitarian situation in Katsina.

At least 150 people have been killed in sudden floods that swept through Mokwa, a city in Nigeria's central Niger State, earlier this week, according to emergency agency spokesperson Ibrahim Audu Husseini. He warned that the death toll could rise further. The disaster has displaced over 3,000 people, completely destroyed 300 homes, and washed away two bridges. Earlier, the Daily Trust newspaper reported that thousands were left homeless and more than 50 children from an Islamic school were missing.