At least 13 people have been killed in an attack on a village in Nigeria's flashpoint city of Jos, where ethnic and religious slayings have continued unabated in recent weeks.
The attackers had targeted predominately Christian ethnic farming villagers known as Beroms, who inhabit Vwang
area situated on the outskirts of Jos city.
"The attacks appear to be deliberate because this is the third time we are witnessing this in less than a week," a government spokesman, Pam Ayuba, said.
Jos, the capital of Plateau state, has been hit by waves of violence between Christian and Muslim tribal groups that have left hundreds dead in recent years.
The deployment of a special federal force to the area to quell the hostilities has not yielded any gains.
On Friday, 12 people, including seven children and their father, were killed when gunmen attacked two villages in an early morning raid seen as a reprisal attack as part of a series of killings.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville had on Saturday called on authorities in Nigeria to end the violence in Jos.
"We are concerned about the renewed violence which has flared up in Nigeria's 'Middle Belt' in recent weeks causing death, injury and destruction," he said, adding that more than 70 persons have been killed since last month.