Gun battles in Nigeria oil region

Militia leader Muhahid Dokubu Asari is on the run from police

Security forces and armed militiamen have clashed in Port Harcourt, in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region.

Residents say a number of people, including a woman bystander, died in the fighting, which took place in the city's Amadi-Ama district on Tuesday.

An armed faction leader said 11 of his men died, but the police have no details of casualties.

Officials said the clashes erupted during a joint army and police operation to seize illegal weapons.

Turf war

"The team swooped on the criminals, made some arrests and recovered guns," River State spokesman Emmanuel Okah told the AFP news agency.

"A lady from Edo State was killed during the operation. I also heard other people were killed but I cannot confirm that now," he said.

Militia leader Muhahid Dokubu Asari, who is on the run from police, has said 11 of his men were shot dead.

He says he is wanted by police because he has accused the government of rigging last year's election, but authorities say the real reason is a turf war with a rival militia.

Last month Mr Dokubu Asari, along with 2,000 armed men, claimed to be fighting on behalf of the Ijaw ethnic groups for the independence of the Niger Delta, the centre of Nigeria's oil industry.

Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter, but the Niger Delta is one of the most underdeveloped regions of the country and is prone to violence.

Armed gangs of militant youths roam the swamps and creeks and are involved in the lucrative business of stealing crude oil from pipelines.