11 killed in armed attack on mining site in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria

Eleven people were killed Wednesday in an armed attack on a mining site in Nigeria's Zamfara state

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the site in the Anka area, according to local media reports.

Several people were also wounded in the attack.

Nigeria has long faced attacks from armed gangs as well as terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, the West African branch of the Daesh/ISIS, in various parts of the country.

Despite a mandatory death penalty for kidnapping in Nigeria, abductions for ransom are common.

Armed groups often target villages, schools and travelers in the northern part of the country to demand ransom.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul