Niger Delta militants on Wednesday claimed the killing of nine soldiers in a firefight in Ekulema, Rivers State.
�In the ensuing firefight, which lasted about one and a half hours, our units captured two gunboats, killing all occupants, nine soldiers,� the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) said in a statement made available to our correspondent.
It said that nine gunboats and one helicopter gunship of the Nigerian Army attacked its units dispatched to communities in Rivers State.
�Our presence in Rivers State is being beefed up by about 500 fighters which had earlier been dispatched and will be in Rivers State by nightfall,� the statement said.
The group said that it was being �forced� to act ahead of its planned major strike on the nation�s oil industry.
It warned operators of oil facilities in Rivers State to immediately evacuate their workers from such locations, adding that it will not change its decision not to take hostages in attacks on oil installations.
Rather, �we will commence with a number of strategic attacks on targets of relevance. This will commence with effect from today (Wednesday) and will increase in severity depending on the response from the Nigerian military,� it concluded.
Army spokesman, Major Sagir Musa, told our correspondent that he had heard about the confrontation at Ekulema but he had no details
Meanwhile, Britain�s foreign ministry has advised against all but essential travel to Akwa Ibom State after the kidnapping of four British oil workers there.
�We advise against all travel to the Bakassi Peninsula and to the riverine areas of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States. We also advise against all but essential travel to Akwa Ibom State and the rest of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States,� the foreign ministry said in a statement.