Militants using dynamites and bombs destroyed Shell’s Orubiri flow station in Rivers state in Nigeria’s Niger Delta oil region Tuesday night in continuation of the ‘oil war’ which they declared as a reprisal for the military offensive launched against them on Saturday. MEND claims militants from the group as well as the rival Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) carried out the attack at 2200hrs, killing all soldiers on guard at the facility and destroying their houseboat. Joint Task Force deployed to the region confirmed the attack but said no soldier was killed. Meanwhile, MEND has repeated its warnings to oil companies to evacuate their staffers from facilities in the region, saying the operation – tagged Hurricane Barbarrosa – would soon spread from Rivers to other states in the region. Tuesday night’s attack was the latest in a series launched by the region’s largest militant group since Saturday’s air, land and sea offensive against the rampaging militants, whose attacks have cut Nigeria’s oil production by one fifth.
