ABUJA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were killed after a group of gunmen launched coordinated attacks on two villages in Plateau State in Nigeria's central region, a local official said on Thursday.
Stephen Gyang Pwajok, head of the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau, where the villages of Rachas and Rawuru were attacked late Tuesday, told Xinhua over the phone that a mass burial was held for the victims on Wednesday.
Describing the incident as "deeply regrettable and unprovoked," Pwajok said that more victims sustained injuries while scampering for safety during the attacks, some into nearby bushes, as the gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, went on a rampage.
The local government official said that the motive of the attackers was unclear while calling on security operatives to help restore normalcy to the affected villages.
Plateau State, located in Nigeria's central region between the Muslim-dominated north and the Christian-majority south, has witnessed repeated attacks in recent years.
Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months. ■