A suicide attacker attempted to slam a car bomb into a Catholic church Sunday killing at least three people.

A suicide attacker attempted to slam a car bomb into a Catholic church during services Sunday in the Nigerian city of Kaduna, killing at least three people, AFP quoted officials as saying.

"At least three people are confirmed dead," the resque official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give out figures.

He added later that the toll included the suspected attacker and that there were a number of injuries.

The strong blast shook the neighbourhood and led to fears of a fresh outbreak of repisal attackers and clashes between Christians and Muslims. The source said the attacker had sought to drive into the church, but seemed to have hit a barrier.

There were conflicting claims about whether he was able to eventually make it inside the church or not.

A spokesman for Nigeria's Emergency Managment Agency said it had recieved reports of a bomb blast in the area of a Catholic church and rushed rescuers to the scene.

The explosion was said to have occured in the Malali area of the city. Kaduna, a major city in Nigeria's north, has been previously hit by attackers blamed on extremist group Boko Haram.

Christian youths tooks to the streets of the city with machetes and sticks after the blast, targeting those "believed to be Muslims" after the church bomings.

Attackers beat a motorcycle taxi driver near the church, then put his bike on top of him before dousing him with petrol and setting him on fire," an AFP correspondent who saw the violence said. Two other bloodied bodies were seen near the church.

A rescue official said rescuers could not save the burned man because the mob was too violent.

"So far we have right dad and 145 injurd from the church blast," Regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency told AFP.