Gunmen kill 11 in NW Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria

At least 11 people were killed and 13 others injured in an armed attack in northwestern Nigeria, police said Wednesday.

Katsina state Police Chief Gambo Isa told reporters that gunmen opened fire on people in the Batsari local government area.

Several houses were gutted in the attack spreading fear among the public, he said.

The injured were taken to hospital, while a police team was dispatched to the area to investigate the situation on the ground, he added.

The region has witnessed sporadic clashes between Fulani people -- one of the largest ethnic groups widely dispersed across West Africa -- who are engaged in rearing animals, and some other tribes who live on farming.

The Fulani, who migrated to the south to graze their cattle, claim farmers try to steal their animals and attack their people.

Armed groups sometimes take advantage of the conflicts and organize attacks.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev in Ankara