Lagos - The governor of Nigeria's Plateau state has accused military commanders of ignoring warnings of an attack on Sunday near the city of Jos.

Hundreds died during attacks on three villages in the area between the mainly Christian south and Muslim north.

The massacre is seen as revenge for a previous bout of killings in January.

Earlier, a Christian group also accused security forces of failing to stop the clashes. Nigerian police spokesman Yemi Ajayi categorically denied the claims.

The army has not yet responded to the accusations but troops are patrolling the area to prevent further clashes.

Governor Jonah Jang said he had warned the army about reports of suspicious people with weapons hours before they attacked, but they failed to take action.

The head of the northern area of Nigeria's Christian Association said he believed mercenaries were involved.

The authorities believe the attack on the three villages near the Plateau state capital, Jos, was an act of revenge carried out by members of the mainly Muslim Fulani community.

Clashes have broken out periodically since 2001, with competition for resources and political power seen as being at the heart of the conflicts between the rival communities.