A pre-dawn attack on a village in Nigeria’s Plateau State has left 20 dead and over 10 injured, according to local reports. The assault took place early Thursday in the Heipang district of Barkin-Ladi LGA.

Residents said the unknown militants entered the community while most were sleeping, overwhelming outgunned vigilantes. The attackers proceeded to set fire to homes with occupants trapped inside, burning many alive.

John Mark Pam lost five family members – his brother, sister-in-law, and their three children – as their compound was torched, killing all still asleep. Several other homes met the same fate.

Four members of the local vigilante group attempting to defend the village were also killed in exchanges of gunfire. The militants possessed superior firepower with automatic weapons.

Police spokesperson Alfred Alabo confirmed the tragic incident and said security reinforcements have been deployed. However, the perpetrators had already withdrawn from Heipang by dawn.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the premeditated overnight attack targeting civilians. Plateau State has seen prior clashes between farmers and herders that have claimed hundreds of lives over land and water access.