Nigerian oil militants say fresh attacks ´soon´

Nigeria´s main rebel group vowed to carry out fresh attacks on oil facilities ´´in the weeks to come´´ in the key Niger Delta region.

Nigeria's main rebel group Tuesday vowed to carry out fresh attacks on oil facilities ''in the weeks to come'' in the key Niger Delta region.

- MEND hereby promises to re-visit the Trans-Ramos pipeline which we attacked in June last year after it has been repaired, as well as other oil facilities around the Niger Delta in the weeks to come - the group said in a statement.

- The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) hereby re-states its warning to oil companies regarding their staff who they are putting in harms way by their continued presence on our soil - the e-mail statement said.

MEND had on Saturday called off a truce in the region, threatening an ''all-out onslaught'' and adding to the political and economic woes of Africa's oil and gas giant.

The announcement was a fresh blow for authorities amid uncertainty over the health of the country's president, in hospital in Saudi Arabia for more than two months, which has sparked an unprecendented political crisis.

The MEND had declared the unilateral ceasefire on October 25 to allow ''meaningful'' dialogue with authorities.

But three months on, the group said: ''it is sufficiently clear that the government of Nigeria has no intentions of considering the demands made by this group for the control of the resources and land of the Niger Delta to be reverted to the rightful owners, the people of the Niger Delta.''

''All companies related to the oil industry in the Niger Delta should prepare for an all-out onslaught against their installations and personnel,'' warned MEND, adding: ''Nothing will be spared.''