Many people are feared dead, with several others injured, after gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
The victims had gathered to bury seven persons who were killed in an earlier attack on the community.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon as residents assembled to perform burial rites.
Sources said the attackers, who had been monitoring activities from nearby hills, suddenly descended on the area and opened fire on mourners as graves were being dug.
An eyewitness, journalist Masara Kim, told reporters via telephone that multiple communities were under coordinated assault.
“There is an ongoing, massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting,” he said.
He added that the mourners had barely begun digging when the gunmen struck, forcing them to hastily bury the bodies and flee.
Kim said he witnessed a man being shot dead and noted that local defenders, armed with hunting rifles and locally made weapons, were overwhelmed by the attackers.
He further stated that he narrowly escaped, while many residents fled as the gunmen advanced. The exact number of casualties remains unclear due to the chaotic situation.
Reacting to the incident, the publicity secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, described the situation as “terrible,” adding that efforts were ongoing to rescue those trapped in the affected communities.
