The army said that soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos have been given orders to shoot on sight any one carrying or using arms as they press ahead with the task of restoring peace to volatile Plateau state.

The army said it has had enough of rampant shootings of its men by warring Christian and Muslim youths as soldiers move to intervene at times of crisis.

"The STF is now mandated to use all the necessary force within its powers on anybody carrying and using arms or dangerous weapons on another person," its spokesman said.

The spokesman Charles Ekeocha in a statement in Jos yesterday warned the youths against "testing the might of the soldiers", saying that whoever did that would be doing so at his or her peril.

Ekeocha disclosed that three soldiers shot by the youths were lying critically ill in the hospital, and regretted that they were were gunned down by people they were supposed to protect.

According to him, "everywhere in the state is infested with weapons, with sporadic shots heard both day and night.

Cars were set ablaze during unrest in Jos.

"The sporadic shooting by the Muslim and Christian youths, is also targeted at the soldiers," he regretted, and advised politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders and parents to counsel their wards.

"The soldiers are no more prepared to turn the other cheek," he warned.

Ekeocha, however, urged the people of the state to go about their normal activities as the STF and other security agencies were prepared to protect them.

The relative peace in the state suffered a severe blow on Monday when youth groups clashed along Rukuba road during the Eid-el Fitr prayers by the Izala Islamic sect.

Several lives were lost during the fracas with many more injured, while vehicles and shops were also burnt down. (NAN)

Jos - Soldiers Get 'Shoot On Sight' Order