ABUJA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Three persons were killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Nigeria's central region late Thursday, the military said on Friday.

       One soldier was among the dead victims of the attack on Rikwe-Chongu village of the Bassa local government area of Plateau, said Ishaku Takwa, a spokesman for the military in the north-central state, while briefing reporters in Jos city, the capital.

       The gunmen rode into the village, shot indiscriminately at civilians, injuring one, and razing their houses, Takwa said.

       Two civilians were shot dead during the attack while the soldier, who was in a team of troops responding to a distress call by the villagers, was killed while fighting to repel the attack, the military official said.

       The attackers also destroyed many food barns and carted away foodstuff, animals, and other valuable items, he added.