Troops deployed after 18 reported dead in Nigeria

Soldiers rushed to restore calm to parts of central Nigeria on Tuesday with 18 people reported killed as renewed violence flared in the tense region, authorities said. Central Nigeria has seen a wave of violence in recent weeks, including Christmas Eve bomb blasts and reprisal attacks that killed at least 80 people as well as clashes between Christian and Muslim ethnic groups. The surge in killings has occurred ahead of elections set for April.
Tensions over the weekend in the region left a number of houses burnt, while two buses carrying Muslim passengers were attacked in a Christian village on Friday.