New religious clashes broke out in central Nigeria Sunday, two days after bombings that killed 32 people in the city of Jos.
Witnesses report that buildings were set on fire in Jos in the clashes between armed Christian and Muslim groups. Security forces were sent to break up the fighting, as smoke billowed over the area.
There are unconfirmed reports of people being injured in the Sunday clashes.
The state governor, Jonah David Jang, promised Sunday to seek out and punish those responsible for the violence. He said the attacks were aimed at sparking violence between Christians and Muslims in an attempt to interfere with preparations for April's presidential elections.
On Saturday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan pledged to hunt down those responsible for a series of bombings on Friday that killed 32 people and wounded 74. Most of the victims were last-minute Christmas shoppers.
In a public appearance, Mr. Jonathan said the government will do everything possible to "unearth" those behind the killings.
Clashes between religious and ethnic groups have killed hundreds of people in and around Jos in recent years. The city is located in Nigeria's Middle Belt, a region where the mostly Muslim north meets the mainly Christian south.
In the northern city of Maiduguri, authorities say six people were killed Friday when assailants threw gasoline bombs at three churches. Police say the radical Islamic sect Boko Haram may have been involved in that attack.
Authorities have blamed Boko Haram for a series of attacks targeting police and community leaders.
More than 700 people were killed in a week of clashes between the group and Nigerian security forces last year. VOA News
