The attack in the remote Dan Gulbi district of the Maru local government area of the state occurred on Monday afternoon, Reuters quoted the head of the local vigilante group Ismail Magaji as saying.
Lawali Zonai, a resident, said, "27 villagers were killed in the attack while seven military personnel were ambushed on their way to aid the community from the gruesome attack."
A spokesperson for the Zamfara state police did not immediately respond to calls seeking to confirm the incident.
Gangs of heavily armed men, locally referred to as bandits, have wreaked havoc across Nigeria's northwest in the past three years, kidnapping thousands, killing hundreds and making it unsafe to travel by road or farm in some areas.
MP/PR