The Iroko militants camp located close to the former Camp 5 in Oporoza Community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State was destroyed by the Joint Task Force, Operation Restore Hope in the early hours of yesterday. It is the latest since the JTF launched its search and rescue operation last week.

According to a statement by Colonel Rabe Abubakar, the Coordinator of the JTF's Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Effurun Barracks, Warri a fierce resistance by the militants had resulted in a serious gun-battle between JTF troops and the militants, leading to the killing of majority of them, even as others fled with gun-shot wounds.

There was no casualty on the JTF side, the release said. Colonel Abubakar also pointed out that the Iroko Camp operation was successful, especially as presently-unquantified arms and ammunition and other military accessories were recovered from the thick forest armour dump of the camp.

The JTF said it had confirmed that the remnants from destroyed militants' camps were regrouping in Bayelsa State with the intention of unleashing terror on citizens in that area. "The JTF is warning all affected individuals and groups to desist from such evil plans so as to avoid its dire consequences. Any attack on JTF's location or government economic interest in any part of this region will be viewed seriously because a minute number of unpatriotic elements cannot hold others to ransom", Colonel Abubakar warned. In an email, MEND countered the JTF, saying; "our fighters have started playing cat and mouse with the army and the frustration is becoming evident in their pattern of attack. They bomb non-combatant women, children and the elderly and we come out at night to kill more soldiers.

As long as the government cannot eradicate mosquitoes and malaria, they will not be able to eliminate freedom fighters and the struggle". It said the raid on hapless Ijaw people by the JTF revealed the desperation of the Nigerian armed forces in a war it had no way of winning when the world was witnessing its indiscriminate use of missiles and bombs on several defenseless Ijaw communities in Delta State.

The militants said they had ordered the blockade of key water channels to oil industry vessels both for the export of crude and gas and importation of refined petroleum products. This means vessels now ply such routes at their risk. They criticized Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, saying he should quit the government now since it had no respect for him or his people. "If the president can snub him after the genocide over his people, then the post of Vice President is not worth it", the statement added.