JOS, Nigeria, Jan. 24 — Up to 20 persons have been reportedly killed in central north Nigeria’s Plateau State after a clash between two communities. A security source told Xinhua on Thursday that the dead bodies were seen when gunmen attacked Wadata, a border community in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau. Spokesperson for the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Jos, Capt. Salisu Mustapha, confirmed the Wase attack, but said he was yet to get details.
“As soon as I get the details, I will furnish you with them,” he added. The state police public relations officer, Abraham Ayomanor, also confirmed the incident.
“We are aware of the attack, but we have yet to get the full details and cannot be sure of the number of casualties,” he said.
Meanwhile, another attack occurred at Aladura, a settlement in the Jos South Local Government.
Plateau State is situated in Nigeria’s middle belt where the Muslim-dominated north and the Christian-majority south meet. It has seen years of ethnic tensions and is a major potential flashpoint ahead of the April presidential elections.
The state capital 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.
The state has recently witnessed some bomb blasts and constant rifts between Berom and Fulani herdsmen, with many, especially women and children, murdered in cold blood in the state.
---------Thomas Whittle, Xinhua, Janauary 25,2013
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