Suicide attack kills 11 in Nigeria

At least 11 people have been confirmed dead after a suicide bomb blast rocked a church in central north Plateau State, sources said on Sunday.

State police spokesperson Samuel Dabia and the Medical Director, Plateau Specialist Hospital Matawwal Bitrus, confirmed this to Xinhua on phone from Jos, the state capital, adding that 22 other people were injured.

The deaths included the two suicide bombers and two motorcyclists who were mobbed at the scene.

The Red Cross said it had taken 22 people injured in the blast to various hospitals in Jos metropolis.

Suicide bombers on Sunday attacked St. Finbar's Catholic Church in Jos by ramming a vehicle into the fence of the Church.

The Church Parish Priest, Rev Fr. Peter Umorem said the attack happened 10 minutes into the 10:00 a.m, local time. "I was at the altar when I heard a loud explosion. Suddenly things were falling all over, and there was pandemonium in the Church," he said.

"Some members grabbed me and rescued me to a safe place. I later learned that it was a suicide attack and that the bomber tried to enter through the gate but was prevented," he added.

There is no immediate claim of responsibility from any group. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has cordoned the scene where the explosion occurred.

A military spokesperson Capt. Markus Mdahyelya said they are responding to emergency issues.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the suicide bombing, saying the government would continue to progressively destroy terrorists' ability to unleash murderous attacks on peaceful and law-abiding Nigerians.

The Nigerian leader also conveyed his sympathies and condolences to the victims of the odious acts in a statement reaching Xinhua in Abuja.

The president urged Nigerians and friends of the country to keep faith with the government, assuring them that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to end the spate of mindless attacks and killings in parts of the country.

Churches have been repeatedly targeted in Nigeria since late last year, occasionally triggering flare between the Christians who mostly live in the south and the Muslims in the north. The militant Boko Haram sect responsible for the bombings in northern Nigeria burnt down some local assembly churches, a police station and a local government secretariat in an overnight raid early in the month in the west African country's northeastern state of Borno.

In July, Boko Haram gave a three-day ultimatum to Christians to leave the Muslim-dominated north, threatening further bloodshed if otherwise.