Sunday, shooters armed with explosives attacked a Catholic church in the Ondo State in southwest Nigeria. It opened fire, killing "many" worshippers and wounding others, according to the government and police.

Violence erupted during the morning service at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo town in a rare attack in the southwest of Nigeria, where jihadists and criminal gangs operate in other parts of the country.

Pope Francis stated in a statement that he had learned of the "death of dozens of faithful," including many children, during the Christian feast of Pentecost.

"While the incident's details are being clarified, Pope Francis is praying for the victims and the nation," he continued.

No organization took responsibility for the attack.

President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the "heinous murder of worshippers," while the motives and exact death toll were not immediately known.

Ibukun Odunlami, a spokesperson for the state police, stated that the shooters assaulted the church with explosives, killing an undetermined number of worshippers.

"It is too soon to determine exactly how many individuals were murdered. However, some worshippers were killed and others were injured in the incident," she told AFP.

A witness named Abayomi told AFP that at least 20 worshippers were killed in the attack.

"As I passed through the area, I heard a loud explosion and gunfire inside the church," he explained.

He reported seeing at least five armed individuals on the church grounds before fleeing for his safety.

In a statement, Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu referred to the incident as a "vile and satanic attack" and urged the security forces to track down the perpetrators.

In Ondo state and other parts of the southwest, gun and bomb attacks are uncommon. Still, Nigeria's military is fighting a 12-year-old Islamic insurgency in the northeast, gangs in the northwest, and separatist activity in the southeast.

Parts of north-central Nigeria are increasingly plagued by heavily armed gangs that invade towns and target communities and schools for kidnappings in enormous quantities.