1.   Nigerian Defense headquarters said long range artillery, helicopter gunships and gunboats were used.

2.   Britain has already used gunboats to chase out Spanish and Norwegian fishing boats around its South Georgia islands in the Falklands.

3.   The navy uses the gunboats to patrol the coastline, rivers and lagoons to stop the Tamils running arms into the country.

4.   The coastguard meanwhile denied using gunboats in the operation.