Gunmen kill 19 in attack on Nigerian church

LAGOS: Gunmen have opened fire on an evangelical church during a service in central Nigeria, killing at least 19 people in the latest such attack in the country, the military said Tuesday.

"The attack was at 8:20 pm yesterday night. The attack was from unknown gunmen at the Deeper Life Church," said Lt. Col. Gabriel Olorunyomi, head of the military's Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kogi state, "They were doing their normal Monday evening service. When we went there we discovered the church had been attacked. Instantly we saw 15 people dead, including the pastor," he explained.

The military has since learned that an additional four people had died from their injuries, Olorunyomi explained. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The JTF commander said an investigation had been launched and that it was premature to speculate as to the culprits.

Islamist extremist group Boko Haram has claimed scores of attacks on churches in northern and central Nigeria in recent months as part of an insurgency that has killed hundreds.