At least 13 people have been killed and several others abducted after heavily armed terrorists invaded a wedding ceremony in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to Daily Trust, the attack occurred around 11:47pm on Sunday when the assailants, wielding AK-47 rifles, stormed the venue and opened fire on guests.

A resident of Kagarko, Shehu Bala, who spoke to Daily Trust via telephone on Monday, said the attackers arrived in large numbers and began shooting indiscriminately inside the wedding hall.

“They came in their numbers and started shooting sporadically at people,” Bala said.

“Some of the victims who sustained gunshot injuries were rushed to Kagarko General Hospital, while two others with severe injuries were taken to Kaduna.

He added that the exact number of those abducted remains unclear due to the chaos that followed the attack.

“In fact, there are two of my friends who were inside the hall that also sustained bullet injuries during the attack,” he said.

“But one cannot ascertain the number of those that were kidnapped because of the sporadic shootings.”

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants operated for nearly one hour without any resistance from security forces.

“They attacked the wedding and later moved around the village, looting shops and carting away food items, provisions and even medical supplies,” the source said.

According to him, many residents fled into nearby bushes as the sound of gunshots echoed throughout the community.

It was gathered that the victims have since been buried, while efforts to establish contact with the abductors have not yielded results.

He gave the names of some of those killed as Bako Danjuma, Williams Luka, Peter Williams, Joseph Yakubu, Victor Peter, John Dan Asabe, Angulu Markus, Maikano Aribi, Douglas John, Ado Yakubu, Zaphaniah Alhaji, Joseph Kaddah and Francis Unguwa Doya.

A police source in Kagarko confirmed the incident, noting that security agencies had commenced efforts to determine the number of those abducted and track down the perpetrators.

SaharaReporters reported that 28 individuals were kidnapped.

DSP Hassan Mansur, the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, also confirmed the killings and abductions, noting that full details were still sketchy and a comprehensive report would be made available after due assessment.

The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, accompanied by federal lawmaker Senator Sani Musa, visited injured victims receiving treatment at the hospital in Kagarko.

This tragic event is not isolated but part of a continuing series of violent incursions in the region.

The latest incident underscored growing insecurity in parts of Kaduna State, where several communities, including Janjala, have remained under persistent threat.

At least 14 persons abducted in the area three weeks ago are still being held in captivity by the terrorists.