Armed men abducted several worshippers from a ‌mosque in Nigeria's north-central Niger State during Friday prayers, police said on Saturday, in the latest mass kidnapping ​in a region plagued by violent gangs.

Police ​spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the attackers stormed ⁠Kpenya Mosque in the Dekara district of ​the Borgu local government area at about 2 p.m. (1300 ​GMT) on Friday after first attacking Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages.

"The developing report indicated that no life was lost, while ​joint security detachment has been deployed to ​the area for assessment and rescue operations," Abiodun said in ‌a ⁠statement.

He said police could not confirm figures.

Local residents told Reuters that more than 60 worshippers were kidnapped in the attack which appeared coordinated and ​occurred simultaneously in ​Dekara and ⁠three other communities in Borgu while residents were observing Friday prayers. Reuters ​could not immediately verify the account ​independently.

Mass ⁠kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed criminal ⁠gangs, ​locally known as bandits, frequently ​raid villages, schools and highways.