Ten soldiers and scores of civilians have been killed in ethnic warfare in Nigeria's oil-producing delta that has cut the country's oil output by more than 13 per cent.
Security sources said the bodies of five of the soldiers killed trying to quell clashes between ethnic Ijaw and Itsekiri militants had been brought to the naval base in the oil city of Warri.
Community leaders said at least 45 civilians were killed by the army in villages near the Escravos oil terminal.
Oil majors Royal Dutch/Shell and ChevronTexaco, which have evacuated their workers from the area, have reported production losses totalling 266,000 barrels per day (bpd) or just over 13 per cent of Nigeria's two million bpd output.