Nine China oil workers believed abducted in Nigeria

LAGOS, Jan 26 (Reuters) Six Chinese oil workers who went missing in an armed attack in Nigeria yesterday are believed to have been abducted, bringing the number of hostages from that incident to nine, an oil company source said today.

Armed attackers engaged security forces in a gunfight during the raid on a team of seismic engineers from China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) in the southern state of Bayelsa and one attacker was killed.

''It is believed a total of nine Chinese were abducted. There was an error in the initial counting,'' a source at Royal Dutch Shell said.

CNPC was working under a contract for Shell when the attack occurred.

Shell had originally said three Chinese workers were abducted and another seven were missing after the attack during which the gunmen stole money from the company's field office.

This brings to 38 the number of foreign hostages being held by armed groups in Africa's top oil producer, where violent crime and militancy have surged in the past 12 months.

REUTERS SSC PM1602