ABUJA, Nigeria

Eleven villagers were killed on Sunday in an armed attack in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state, according to police.

Armed men arrived on motorcycles in the afternoon at the Tsatskiya village, firing at random.

Eleven villagers lost their lives in the attack, three people were injured, and hundreds fled their homes.

Katsina State Police spokesman Isah Gambo confirmed the attack and said security forces had been dispatched to the area.

The use of motorcycles has been banned in some states in Nigeria due to recent attacks in the country by gunmen.

The northern part of the West African country has been afflicted with a multidimensional crisis that is rooted in long-standing tensions between ethnic and religious groups and involves attacks by criminal groups and banditry.

The security crisis has accelerated during the past years due to intensified attacks and has resulted in widespread displacement across the region.

The latest attacks affected more than 2,000 individuals, including 23 injuries and 27 fatalities, in Guma of Benue state and Dandume and Sabuwa of Katsina state. The attacks caused people to flee to neighboring localities, according to the International Organization for Migration.