Survivors of an Islamist attack in Kaduna State, Nigeria say that at least 46 people have been killed including two pastors.

Church leaders say the Islamists stated their goal was to “cleanse” the area of any Christians.

The two pastors were killed along with 31 other Christian s in Karshin Daji.  The attack left 15 injured and at least 15 homes of Christians burned to the ground.  The slain pastors were Pastor Ezra Ibrahim of the Evangelical Church Winning All and Pastor Julius Jako of ECWA who was butchered beside his wife and daughter.

Danjuma Awe, 60, was one of the survivors of the assault.

“Suddenly we heard sounds of gunshots around our village,” Awe said. “The pastor was still in the pastorate when the Muslim Fulani gunmen forced their way onto the church premises. They cut him, his wife, and a daughter with a machete, and then tied the hands and feet of the three of them before setting the house on fire. The three of them were burned to ashes in the living room of the pastorate. We only found the charred remains of the three of them the following morning.”

Residents say the Nigerian authorities did nothing to stop the Islamists from their assault.