There is heavy fighting in northern Nigeria between security forces and Islamist militias for the fifth day in a row. The police say dozens more people were killed on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to around 300.
 

The fighting is concentrated around militia leader Mohammed Yusuf’s base in the town of Maiduguri. Eyewitnesses say the streets are littered with dead bodies.
 

The violence began on Sunday when the militias attacked police stations. The police and army then mounted a counter-offensive. Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua has more than once claimed that the Islamists were on the point of defeat, but police sources say the battle is tougher than expected.