37 Killed in Central Nigeria Raids and Reprisals Authorities in central Nigeria say 37 people have been killed in Christian villages near a city that has seen religious violence in the past. Military spokesman Mustapha Salisu said Sunday that assailants launched "sophisticated attacks" on villages near Jos early Saturday. Salisu said police and the army fought back for hours. He said two policemen, 14 civilians and 21 assailants were killed. The Nigerian Red Cross said more than 100 people have been displaced. Mark Lipdo, who runs a Christian advocacy group, gave a list of 13 villages attacked. He said they were all Christian. Jos and surrounding Plateau state have been torn apart in recent years by violence pitting its different ethnic groups and major religions - Christianity and Islam - against each other. While divided by religion, politics and economics often fuel the fighting.