4 killed in religious rioting in central Nigeria

— Authorities say at least four people were killed in a riot in a central Nigerian city that is beset by religious and ethnic tensions.

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said the fighting began Monday in Jos after Muslims began praying in a predominantly Christian neighborhood in the city. Officials with a local Muslim group said the unidentified attackers used knives, machetes and bows and arrows.

Witnesses say more than 50 vehicles and 100 motorcycles were set ablaze during the fighting. Army and police moved into the affected neighborhood late Monday.

Jos sits in the Nigeria's "middle belt," where dozens of ethnic groups vie for control of fertile lands and political and economic power. Nigeria is largely divided into a Christian south and Muslim north.

The Associated Press


