Gunmen killed three people and abducted a priest and several others in an early-morning attack on a clergyman's residence in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state, church and police sources said on Sunday.

Saturday's assault in Kauru district highlights persistent insecurity in the region and came days after security services rescued 166 worshippers abducted in attacks by gunmen on two churches elsewhere in Kaduna.

According to the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, one of the kidnapped clergymen is Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Karku, along with 10 others.

Three residents were killed during the attack, which began at about 3:20 a.m. (0220 GMT), the diocese said in a statement.

A Kaduna police spokesperson confirmed the incident; however, he said that five people had been abducted in total and that the three people killed were members of the security forces.

"Security agents exchanged gunfire with the bandits, killed some of them, and unfortunately, two soldiers and a police officer lost their lives," he said.

A presidential spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.