Isis kills dozens of Christians and torches church in sickening terrorist attack

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing dozens of Christians and torching a church in a terrorist attack in Nigeria.

The attack in the country's northeast killed at least 29 people, with a group of young people assembling at a football pitch were targeted.

The attack occurred in Adamawa state, which borders Cameroon - a hotspot for terrorist violence.

One local, Joshua Usman, said the dead included "youths, including some ladies that were watching football".

He told said houses, churches, and motorcycles were burned in the attack.

Footage from local reporters showed a torched building, upturned furniture, and charred motorcycles stacked on their side.

Philip Agabus, a local resident, said: "Our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community... and were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly."

The officer for State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, confirmed at least 29 had died in the attack.

Citing a local community leader, his office said "the attackers operated for several hours, killing dozens of residents, burning places of worship, and destroying property including motorcycles".

Mr Finitiri said the attack would "not go unpunished" and vowed to heighten security operations in the region.

Since 2009, violence led by the Islamic State and Boko Haram has displaced millions and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, according to the United Nations.

Violence in the area has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

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Pope Leo XIV returned from his four-country Africa trip on April 23, where he spoke in Cameroon - which has a Catholic population of over 10 million.

The Pope met with Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on Monday, where the pair prayed together and each gave addresses after the meeting.

The Archbishop said there was "terrible violence" inflicted on people around the world, adding that the Church should not lose confidence in the gospel.

She said: "The Book of Wisdom reminds us that 'God did not make death… but created all things so that they might exist'. God’s desire is life - life in its fullness, life shared, life given.

"And yet, we look at our world today and often we see something very different: instead of making justice and peace a priority, we see terrible violence inflicted on innocent people in conflicts across the globe.

"In such a world, the Church cannot lose confidence in the gospel. For the gospel is precisely this: that life, not death, has the final word, that Christ has broken the power of violence, not by greater force, but by self-giving love. And that gospel must be made visible."

After the meeting, Pope Leo condemned "our suffering world" and prayed for peace.

Nigeria has a Christian population of over 80 million, making it one of the largest Christian countries in the world.

By 2060 six out of the 10 countries with the largest Christian populations will be in Africa, up from three in 2015, according to data from the Pew Research Centre.