Lagos — A fierce gun battle was reported, yesterday, between naval men of the JTF in the Niger Delta and suspected sea pirates along the Bonny Channel in Rivers State.

Although the JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said the force could not confirm whether there were casualties on the side of the bandits, he said none of the naval men was wounded "because they overwhelmed the pirates."

A security source told Vanguard that elements of Sector Four command of the JTF were on routine patrol along the channel to check the incessant activities of pirates and kidnappers when they ran into the gunmen

The source disclosed that the soldiers were sailing in a gunboat when "they suddenly ran into the heavily armed gunmen in two engine boats" speeding towards the gunboat.

Frightened by the unexpected meeting with the gunboat, the bandits "opened fire on the soldiers, who also quickly responded and the men managed to fire more shots as they escaped."

Explaining further, he said "the troops responded with superior fire power and the pirates were jolted by the speed and precision of the soldiers' counter offensive".

On the exact place of the encounter, he disclosed that it was around "Dawes Island and not too far from Okrika" and that when the thieves could not withstand the soldiers, they quickly ran away into the creeks.

Col. Musa then said: "I can authoritatively say that our troops did not record any casualty. But we don't know the number of casualties that might have been recorded by the bandits because the incident happened in the sea."