The militants have issued warnings like this before
Nigerian oil militants have declared "all-out war" on the military as gun battles erupted for a third day this week in the southern swamps.

They accused military planes of bombarding a village in Delta State, killing women and children.

But the military denied the claim, saying they had "torched a militant camp" and killed fighters.

It was not possible to verify either side's claim immediately, as travel to the region is restricted.

"The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) is declaring an all out war in the region and call upon all men of fighting age to enlist for our freedom," spokesman Jomo Gbomo said in an e-mail to journalists.

"Casualties are mostly women, children and the elderly who could not get away quickly into the bush or high sea."

Hostages

But Lt Col Rabe Abubakar denied the claim.



"The only operation today has been a cordon and search operation, which revealed a militant camp, which we torched," he said.

He said he could not give any figures on casualties.

Mend issued a Sunday deadline for oil companies to pull out of the Niger Delta and has seized 15 hostages from two ships since Wednesday.

The renewed violence between militants and the military's Joint Task Force was expected by analysts after Mend rejected an amnesty offered by the government.

The government has still not officially said the offer is off the table.

Mend is still holding British hostage Matthew Maguire who was seized from an oil services boat in September last year. His colleague Robin Hughes was freed in April.

Militant groups in the Niger Delta have flourished amid a lack of governance and rule of law.

They claim to be fighting to help local people benefit from the region's oil wealth but fund their activities with oil theft, extortion and kidnapping.

The Joint Task Force, charged with bringing security to the Delta, is accused of brutality and corruption.

BBC.COM