Ten people have been killed in an armed clash between Nigerian security forces and itinerant Fulani herdsmen in the country's conflict-prone city of Jos, official sources said.

Spokesman for a military unit deployed to the zone, known for constant clashes between ethnic groups, Salisu Mustapha said that the herdsmen engaged another ethnic group in the armed confrontation.

Recently, hundreds of people have died in internecine conflicts between Berom ethnic and Fulani group, which has a high Christian and Muslim population respectively.

The city of Jos is the capital of Plateau state in north central Nigeria.

Meanwhile, commissioner for information in the state Abraham Yiljap confirmed the death of the ten victims but could not specify if they are all Fulani herdsmen.

The Fulanis claimed they were provoked into a fight by the military because they do not belong to the tribe of the governor of the state.