(2ND UPDATE)'Death toll from Nigeria church bombing rises to 11'

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Eleven people died and 22 were injured in Sunday's suicide bombing of a Catholic Church in Nigeria's northern city of Jos, the local media reported.

The report said the dead included the two suicide bombers, who rammed their explosives-laden vehicle into the gate of St. Finbar's Catholic Church while the 10 am (local time) Mass was going on, as well as two motorcyclists who were lynched at the scene for their alleged role in facilitating the attack.

The Medical Director, Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, Dr Matawwal Bitrus, reportedly confirmed that the hospital had received the corpses of six victims, while another corpse was said to have been deposited at the mogue of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

JUTH Chief Medical Director, Dr Ishaya Pam, said: "We received 15 casualties from the attack. One of the victims died while 14 sustained various degrees of injuries and are in critical conditions. Some sustained varying degrees of burns while three had gunshot wounds. But they are in stable condition and responding to treatment."

On its part, the Nigeria Red Cross said it had taken 22 people injured in the blast to various hospitals in Jos metropolis.

"For now, we have 22 injured at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau Specialist Hospital and Air Force Military Hospital in Jos. Many of the injured are in critical conditions but they are stable and responding to treatment. But we also note that some of the injured were taken to different hospitals in the metropolis by different people," a Red Cross official said.

Yet unconfirmed reports said there have been reprisal attacks in the city, which has been wracked by religious and ethnic violence for the past several years.

"There is a report of reprisal attack in Mai Aidiko (area of the city) and we are trying to bring the situation under control," military spokesman, Capt. Markus Mdahyelya, said.

President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the Jos attack, while calling on the populace to "remain patient and refrain from taking matters into their own hands through actions such as reprisal attacks".
-0- PANA SEG/MA 11March2012