Nigerian militants launch new attacks in "oil war"

By Austin Ekeinde

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian militants attacked a Royal Dutch Shell-operated oil installation on Monday in a third day of heavy fighting with security forces in the Niger Delta region.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta declared an "oil war" on Sunday and warned all oil workers to evacuate the delta immediately, threatening to further disrupt production in the world's eighth largest oil exporter.

"MEND reiterates its previous warnings to all oil workers in the entire Niger Delta region to evacuate from oil facilities and halt production with immediate effect or they will have themselves to blame," MEND said in an e-mailed statement.

The militants attacked a Shell flow station on Monday. The fighting has not yet affected the OPEC member's oil production because some of the facilities attacked seem to have already been shutdown by previous assaults, security sources said.

Oil traded at a six-month low below $100 a barrel on Monday.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the military task force in Rivers state, said militants in about 10 speedboats attacked the flow station at Alakiri in Rivers state.

"The attack lasted over an hour. Dynamite and bombs were massively detonated by the miscreants," Musa said. "The situation is being closely monitored and is under control."

A Shell spokeswoman said it was investigating the reports.