Barely two days after the creation of a ministry for the Niger Delta region, a militant group yesterday engaged men of the Joint Task Force in a full-fledged armed offensive. Reports indicated that men of the JTF might have begun a full-blown campaign to dislodge the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, militants from the Niger Delta area. The clash took place in Degema, a riverine community in Rivers State, yesterday. According to reports, the offensive involved both ground and aeriel battle.

The JTF deployed in the Niger Delta to ensure peace and security said in Port Harcourt that the military countered an offensive by the militant movement.

Its spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, said that the militant group launched an attack on troops patrolling Eleme-Tombia, in Degema, and had to face reprisals. "Our men were patrolling the area when MEND opened fire on them. There was an exchange of fire, but we did not record any casualty. The militants fled from the incident," he said.

Spokesman for MEND Jomo Gbomo, however, said that the group suffered about three casualties during the exchange of fire.

Gbomo countered the claim of provocation made by Musa and said that it was the military that first opened fire on innocent citizens of the area.

He said that MEND repelled the attack of the troops using sophisticated weapons on the two military helicopters that were close enough to be attacked.

"We suspect that one of them may have been damaged. The helicopters were repelled and have not returned," he said, adding that MEND would hold Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers State, and President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua responsible for the attack .

Gbomo said that the JTF "began a full-scale aerial and marine offensive on MEND positions and neighbouring Ijaw communities in Rivers State with helicopter gunships, jet fighters and more than 20 gunboats and landing crafts filled with heavily armed soldiers.

MEND asked oil companies in the region to move out their workers within the next 24 hours "because a hurricane is about to sweep through oil installations in the entire Niger Delta region".