At least 14 people, including women and infants, were killed when armed men ambushed a vehicle transporting traders from a weekly market in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, a community leader has confirmed.

The deadly attack took place around midday on Thursday in the Bokkos area, as the victims were heading back from the busy Bokkos market.

According to Farmasum Fuddang, chair of the Bokkos cultural development forum, the gunmen intercepted the vehicle and opened fire on its occupants.

"Victims included women and little babies," Fuddang said in a statement.

The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks that have rocked rural parts of Plateau, a state long troubled by ethnic and religious tensions. The killings come amid ongoing appeals from local communities for the government to bolster security and prevent further bloodshed.

For years, Plateau and several other states in Nigeria’s central belt have witnessed deadly clashes between communities over land, resources, and political representation. These conflicts, often rooted in longstanding grievances, have cost hundreds of lives and left many displaced.

The police in Plateau State have yet to issue an official response to the attack.