Sri Lanka, April 6 -- Thirty-one civilians held hostage following a Sunday morning church attack in north-west Nigeria have been rescued, the army has said.

Five others were killed as gunmen targeted Easter celebrations at a church in Ariko, Kaduna state, according to a statement from the security forces. A local church official had earlier put the number of dead at seven.

The army said soldiers engaged the attackers in a "fierce firefight", forcing them to flee and leave the hostages and the bodies of the dead victims behind.

Attacks and kidnappings for ransom are common occurrences in northern Nigeria, as the country grapples with security threats from jihadist groups and armed gangs, locally known as bandits.

Although the army said...