At least 11 people were killed and more than 70 others, including women and children, were kidnapped by armed men on motorbikes in Sabongarin Damri, a village in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, according to witnesses.

The assailants opened fire as they rode into the village late Saturday, spreading panic among residents.

"They came on motorcycles, shooting randomly before abducting our daughters and children. As of today, we haven’t heard anything from them," said local resident Isa Sani.

The region has been the epicenter of recurring violence and mass abductions by groups known locally as 'bandits,' who often demand ransom and hold captives for months.

One resident, Sufiyanu Ibrahim, said he was shot in the leg and that his wife was among those taken. “There were gunshots everywhere... I narrowly escaped,” he said.

Sabongarin Damri’s traditional leader, Shehu Musa, confirmed that more than 60 individuals were taken in the raid.

The continued violence has forced thousands to flee and disrupted farming and travel in Zamfara, which shares a border with Niger.

Between April and July, Nigerian authorities arrested more than 2,100 suspects and rescued 175 kidnap victims from similar bandit groups across the northwest and central regions, according to the National Orientation Agency.

Zamfara police have yet to comment on the most recent attack.

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