In Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, fighters affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) have killed farmers and children, according to members of an anti-jihadist group.

The attackers, belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), opened fire on a group of farmers and children riding in jeeps and rickshaws in the conflict-ridden Borno region, the epicenter of jihadist violence.

At least 15 farmers and children were killed in the assault, according to reports cited by AFP.

Local self-defense groups stated that the attack took place in Gurnowa, near the town of Monguno, where armed militants indiscriminately shot at a vehicle carrying farmers and children returning from their fields.

ISWAP militants have been carrying out repeated attacks in northeastern Nigeria for several years.

Thousands of displaced residents are currently living in Monguno under military protection.

According to the United Nations, escalating violence in northeastern Nigeria, combined with foreign aid cuts and rising prices, puts over one million people at risk of famine.