Abuja, June 5: Gunmen opened fire on worshippers at a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria on Sunday and also detonated explosives, a state lawmaker said. Dozens were feared dead including children.

Ogunmolasuyi Oluwole said the attackers targeted the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo state just as the worshippers gathered on Pentecost Sunday. Philadelphia Shooting: 3 Killed, 11 Injured After Gunman Open Fire In Large Crowd.

Among the dead were many children, said Oluwole, who visited the scene and also the hospital where many of the wounded were being treated. While much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues including Islamic extremism, Ondo is widely known as one of Nigeria's most peaceful states.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)