Nigeria's army said Sunday it had destroyed a rebel camp in southern Rivers state as part of its campaign to end years of violence and kidnappings in the oil-rich region.
"The troops of Joint Task Force (JTF) have located and destroyed a militants' camp close to Buguma creek in Rivers State after a fierce exchange of fire with the militants," army spokesman Rabe Abubakar said.
"The troops of JTF were fired at from the militants' camp over night and the security outfit has no choice but to locate and destroy the camp," he said in an e-mail to AFP.
He said the military would get "rid of the criminals who are bent on causing unnecessary tension and apprehension in the region".
Abubakar said the military also recovered some arms and ammunition during the raid.
Several camps operated by militants have been destroyed since May 13 when federal troops launched their operation against fighters of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Nigeria's main militant group.
But MEND said in a statement late Sunday there was no fresh attack on its camp at Buguma.
"The leader of a small group of fighters around the Buguma creek axis in Rivers state, Egbele has confirmed that there was no attack in his camp as claimed by the military JTF," the group said.
"He (Egbele) said they actually asked him to cooperate by giving the impression his camp has been over-run," MEND added.
In the past three and a half years MEND, which says it is fighting to ensure local people have a greater share in the oil wealth, has been behind a series of kidnappings of staff and attacks on oil installations in the region.
Unrest in the Niger Delta has reduced Nigeria's daily output to 1.76 million barrels compared with 2.6 million barrels in January 2006.