Officials and residents say at least 40 have been killed by armed bandits who attacked a Nigerian village in the country's northwest Kaduna state.

Police Inspector General Ibrahim Idris confirmed the bandits invaded Gwaska Saturday, fighting local defense forces protecting the community of about 3,000 people. He said 200 policemen and 10 patrol vehicles were deployed to the scene.

A resident who helped fight the bandits said at least 40 people were killed and the toll will likely climb. He spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. He said the attackers were from Zamfara state, and that they shot at children and torched houses as residents fled.

The attack came about a week after other unidentified gunmen attacked a nearby village in the Birnin Gwari area.