20110125
Xinhua
JOS, Nigeria, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least six persons were killed while several others were seriously injured following attacks in villages near the central Nigerian city of Jos.

State commissioner of police Abdulrahaman Akano confirmed the attacks to Xinhua on telephone on Tuesday, saying four people were killed and five people were injured during the attack at Farin- Lamba village. He said two other people were also killed in another attack at Hamman village.

According to him, the report he got indicated that those who carried out the attack were in military uniform, adding that he was yet to confirm that.

Security sources told reporters that unknown gunmen with sophisticated weapons, swooped on in Jos South local government area of the state at about 11.00 p.m. local time on Sunday and descended on the inhabitants who had all gone to bed.

The killings sparked off demonstration by hundreds of women in Jos South Local Government Area, denouncing the alleged involvement of military men in the attack.

But Commander of the Special Task Force, Brigadier General Hassan Umoru, doubted if any of his men would participate in any attack against the people they were out to secure and urged the people to look out for identification and other particulars to substantiate any such allegation.

Jos was plunged in a pool of blood on March 7, 2010 when members of local Muslim and Christian communities fought each other in revenge for previous killings.

Police said 109 people were slain in the March 7 tragedy, mostly women and children, weeks after more died in waves of sectarian violence in the region.