LAGOS - At least six people were killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked two communities in southern Nigeria on Wednesday, according to the police.

The attackers stormed Abarikpo and Odiereke-Ubie communities in Rivers State on Wednesday morning, Grace Iringe-Koko, a local police spokesperson, told reporters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

"Yes, I can confirm that six people were killed. An investigation is ongoing to apprehend the suspects," she said.

Security sources told Xinhua that the killings were suspected to be a reprisal attack linked to clashes with rival cultists in the area.

Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in some parts of Nigeria, leading to deaths and kidnappings in recent months.