Nigeria: Mosque attack follows church shootings

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- An army official says a mosque attack that killed two soldiers followed a deadly church attack in central Nigeria.

Lt. Col. Gabriel Olorunyomi had said Tuesday that three gunmen on motorcycles shot dead soldiers on patrol in Okene. He added Wednesday that the attack occurred outside Okene Central Mosque just after Muslim worshippers ended a prayer session.

It came a day after a church attack in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Okene left 19 Christian worshippers dead.

No group has claimed of responsibility for either attack, but the violence comes as Nigeria struggles with a growing Islamist insurgency known as Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has attacked places of worship in other parts of this West African nation evenly divided between Muslims and Christians.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)