At least 15 Christians have been killed in the Chakfem District of Plateau State, Nigeria, in a targeted attack.

An estimated 3,000 believers have fled their homes in the latest wave of violence attributed to Fulani militants.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, August 18, attackers entered the villages of Tim, Koppang, Mihidihin, Jiblang, Jilem, Jibin, and Manden. Gunfire was reported, homes were burned, and livestock was slaughtered.

Security personnel arrived the following morning and recovered multiple bodies from the streets and farmland.

The injured were taken to the Church of Christ in Nations Hospital in Chakfem. Some displaced residents said they had to flee with no belongings after their food supplies and animals were destroyed in the attacks.

Bulus Dabit, national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, criticized security forces for being slow to respond. He told International Christian Concern: “By the time the security agents reached Chakfem, it was too late. The damage had already been done.”

Security forces said the area’s rugged terrain made access difficult.

Nigeria is considered the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians, according to the charity Open Doors. Despite having more legal religious freedom than other nations in the top 10, ongoing jihadist violence means more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Many are now living in internal displacement camps within the country.