26 April 2009
Abuja — The military launched an attack yesterday on suspected militants camps in Rivers and Delta States as part of efforts to end violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Military spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar said government "troops acting on credible intelligence" conducted a cordon and search operation in Bakana community in Rivers State to recover arms and ammunition from the militants.
He said the military was attacked during the operation, resulting in a "heavy exchange of gunfire between the troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and the militants", adding that after the gunfight, the troops overpowered the militants who "fled into their camp and were pursued and, subsequently, their camp was destroyed," he said.
Col. Abubakar also said that "some dead bodies of the militants were found and several arms and ammunition were also recovered at the camp," without specifying the number of militants killed while according to him, the military recorded no casualties.
In a related development, a second militant camp in Delta State was also raided yesterday.
"The militants fled after the initial encounter and took refuge in their camp which was razed down by the troops," Abubakar said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered at the camp and several fleeing militants suffered gunshot wounds.
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