Nigeria's main militant group warned oil companies in the Niger Delta to evacuate their staff following clashes with the security forces in southern Delta state on Wednesday. "All freedom fighters in the Niger Delta have been placed on alert to defend their positions and unleash a horrible toll on the oil industry and the Nigerian economy," the (MEND) said in an e-mail.
"Oil companies operating in the region are advised to evacuate their staff within the next 24 hours to avoid them being part of the statistics of an emerging civil war," the statement said. MEND said the army had launched an "unprovoked attack" on two major camps in Delta state and that a gun battle was taking place.
The army said there had been a clash but that the militants were to blame. "Our men were on routine patrol of the waterways this morning when they were ambushed by some militants. In the shootout some of our men were wounded but their injuries are not serious," military spokesman Colonel Rabe Abubakar said.
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