Gunmen suspected of belonging to a radical Islamist sect attacked a village in northeast Nigeria, tying up men, women and children before slitting their throats and killing at least 15, according to The New York Times.

The assault took place early Friday morning in Musari, a village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the city where the sect known as Boko Haram first began its guerrilla campaign of shootings and car bombings against Nigeria’s weak central government. The gunmen shouted religious slogans and later ordered those present to be gathered into a group.

The sect, whose name means Western Education Is Sacrilege in the Hausa language of Muslim northern Nigeria, wants the nation to enact strict Shariah law and release the group’s imprisoned members. Despite a heavy military and police presence, the sect’s adherents have continued to initiate frequent attacks.