Attack in Abuja, Nigeria July 22nd 2019
Attack in Abuja, Nigeria July 22nd 2019REUTERS

At least 65 people are dead and a dozen more wounded after an apparent terrorist attack in northeastern Nigeria over the weekend.

Villagers in the Nganzai district, outside of the regional capital of Maiduguri, were gunned down as they left a funeral on Saturday, Reuters reported, leaving at least 21 dead in the initial attack.

Following the initial shooting, the villagers tried to defend themselves. In the ensuing battle, some 44 more villagers were killed, bringing the total number of locals murdered to 65, with roughly a dozen more wounded, including eight people in critical condition.

The Nigerian-based Sunni Islamic terror group Boko Haram is suspected in the attack, though the ISIS-splinter group ISIS in West Africa (ISWA) has also carried out attacks in the area. Neither group has yet claimed responsibility for the killings.

The ISIS-affiliated terror group has launched numerous attacks on Nigerian Christians and even Muslims who resist Boko Haram’s efforts to impose its strict interpretations of Islamic law over large swaths of the country.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack Sunday, and said he had ordered the Nigerian army to hunt down the terrorists responsible.