ABUJA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen people were killed and 17 others wounded following a night attack by gunmen in a village in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kaduna, according to officials on Monday.

The victims were attending a wedding late Sunday at Paa-Gwandara village in Jema'a area of the state when the gunmen stormed the venue and unleashed terror on them, said Joshua Paul, a local community leader who witnessed the incident.

Nine persons were shot dead at the spot. Five others, who were among the wounded victims, died at a government hospital early Monday, Paul said.

Six children are among the wounded victims. "Some of the children suffered severe degrees of bullet wounds. They are in critical condition," he told a Xinhua reporter.

Local police have launched an investigation into the incident, said Peter Averik, head of the Jema'a local government area.