At least 160 people have been killed in central Nigeria in a series of attacks on villages, local authorities said Monday.

It marks a sharp rise from the initial figure of 16 deaths in a clash between herders and farmers in Mushu, a village in the Bokkos local government area.

At least 113 people have been confirmed killed and more than 300 wounded people were transferred to hospitals in Bokkos, Jos, and Barkin Ladi, Monday Kassah, head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, was quoted by AFP as saying.

A provisional toll by the local Red Cross reported 104 deaths in 18 villages in the Bokkos region.

At least 50 people were also reported dead in several villages in the Barkin Ladi area, according to Dickson Chollom, a member of the state parliament.

It is the worst outbreak of violence in Plateau since May when more than 100 were killed in farmer-herder clashes.

Armed attacks have been a major security threat in Nigeria's northern and central regions, leading to deaths and kidnappings.

(Cover: File photo of security personnel standing guard in Kukawa Village in the Kanam Local Government Area of the Plateau state after residents' houses were burned down during an attack by bandits, April 12, 2022. /AFP)