A female police officer on traffic duty in Calabar, Cross River State was yesterday assaulted by a soldier, leaving her to bleed from the eye.

Reports said the police officer was attacked by the yet to be identified soldier in company of a few of his colleagues around Mobil Junction on Murtala Mohammed Way.

The attack resulted in a face-off between police and army officers with the highway temporarily blocked on account of the resultant tension.

Trouble was said to have begun when the female police officer directing traffic at the spot stopped the army officer who rode a black Toyota Corolla with Lagos registration number AGL175 HA.

The army officer, who at the time was not in uniform, was said to have dealt heavy punches on the police woman, after which he fled in his car.

An attempt made by another female police officer to take pictures of the errant soldiers was said to have infuriated another female soldier who assaulted the police woman.

The Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Police Command, Irene Ugbo, could not be reached for comments at press time yesterday as calls made to her phone went unanswered. (The Nation: Text excluding headline)