At least 15 people were killed in an attack on a farming community in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria, officials reported Saturday. The assault occurred on Friday in the Talata Mafara area, a region that has experienced recurrent violence involving armed groups. No organization has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Abdullaziz Yari, a federal lawmaker representing the district, described the attack in a social media statement as a “terrorist attack.” Local government chairman Yahaya Yari, who is not related to Abdullaziz Yari, appeared in a widely circulated video during the victims’ funeral the same day. He made an emotional appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the junior defense minister, who is from the area, urging them to intervene and put an end to the ongoing violence.

The recent attack is part of a broader pattern of violence across Zamfara state. Earlier in June, gunmen killed 17 farmers and injured at least 13 others while they were working in fields in Goron Namaye, another area within the state. These assaults are attributed to armed gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom, demanding levies from farming communities, and illegal mining operations.

The United Nations has documented that an insurgency in northern Nigeria has caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions over the years. The violence is primarily concentrated in the north-central and northwest regions of the country. Despite the Nigerian government’s repeated promises, including under the administration of President Tinubu, to tackle the crisis, attacks continue to plague local communities.

Last year, Nigeria and the United States signed a military cooperation agreement aimed at addressing security concerns, following tensions arising from U.S. officials’ allegations that a “Christian genocide” was occurring in Nigeria. The Nigerian government rejected these claims, characterizing the situation as more complex than a religious conflict. Analysts have noted that victims of the violence are not exclusively targeted based on faith, adding that Nigeria's population is broadly divided with Christians predominantly in the south and Muslims in the north.

The ongoing instability underscores the challenges the Nigerian government faces in restoring peace to vulnerable rural communities in Zamfara and surrounding states.