Militants Strike Again- Kill 2 Naval Officers

PORT HARCOURT, February.9 (Xinhua) -- Militants on Friday killed two men of the navy and abducted a foreigner whose identity is yet unknown in Nigeria's restive Niger Delta, reports reachinghere said.

    According to local residents, the heavily armed gunmen had traced the victims from the Ikwerre road axis of Port Harcourt city, the capital of Nigeria's southeastern Rivers State, before accosting them around Eliparawo road, also in the state capital.

    Trouble began when the militants attacked the Toyota Hilux van carrying the foreigner and the naval men, shooting and killing everybody, excluding the foreigner.

    While running away with their catch, the militants attacked a police station along Iwofe Jetty road, killing an innocent civilian suspected to have been at the police station to affect the release of a detained relative.

    Checks around the scenes of the incidents showed stains of blood and battered vehicles as a result of gunshots as the victims were said to have been deposited in the morgue.

    Sources said that the militants went out of the city through the Iwofe jetty, with an already waiting speed boat and abandoned a Hiace bus which they used during the operation at the jetty.

    In a related development, a few hours before the militant attack, a commercial bank located along Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt city was attacked by armed robbers but the attempt was foiled by strong resistance put up by two bank's security men on duty.

    Eyewitnesses said the robbers numbering seven met strong exchange of gunshots from the bank's security, which eventually led to the gunning down of two robbers.

    In a clear show of doggedness, the defeated robbers terrorized the entire area with gunshots and made away with the corpses of their fallen colleagues.

    The Rivers Police spokesman Ireju Barasua confirmed the two incidents but said her office had not received full details of the issues.

    She said police have dispatched its men to the affected areas to ensure safety of the residents and urged them to go about their normal duties.