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30 Reported Dead in Attack on Nigerian Village


Witnesses say gunmen have killed at least 30 people in a central Nigerian village in an area with a history of ethnic and religious conflict.

The attackers stormed the village in the Riyom area of Plateau state early Tuesday, opening fire on residents and burning homes to the ground.

Military officials confirmed the attack but would not confirm the reported death toll, given by local officials.

The area sits in Nigeria's "Middle Belt," historically the scene of tension between Christian farmers and semi-nomadic Muslim groups.

Human Rights Watch last month criticized the Nigerian government for ignoring years of what it called "mass murder" in the area and failing to prosecute known killers.

Tuesday's clash is believed to have involved members of the Muslim Fulani community and the Christian Berom ethnic group.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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