Gunmen believed to be linked to Boko Haram killed at least 162 people in Nigeria's Kwara state in one of the deadliest attacks in the country in recent months, a Red Cross official said on Wednesday, sharply revising earlier casualty figures.

"Reports said that the death toll now stands at 162, as the search for more bodies continue," said Babaomo Ayodeji, the Kwara state secretary of the Red Cross, updating an earlier figure of 67.

Earlier, local lawmaker Sa'idu Baba Ahmed said that between 35 and 40 bodies had initially been counted after the attack. He said many residents fled into nearby bushland, some with gunshot wounds, raising fears that the toll could rise further as searches continue.

The assailants stormed the rural community in Kaiama Local Government Area around 6:00 pm (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday, setting houses, shops, food storage facilities and the traditional ruler's palace on fire, according to local lawmaker Sa'idu Baba Ahmed. 

Police confirmed the attack but did not give casualty figures, while the state government blamed the violence on "terrorist cells." Ahmed said many residents fled into nearby bushland, some with gunshot wounds, and the whereabouts of the village's traditional king remained unknown.

Kwara state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq condemned the assault, describing it as a "cowardly expression of frustration" by militants in response to ongoing counterterrorism operations in parts of the state.