DR Congo And Ugandan Forces “Kill 30 ADF Rebels”
An offensive against the group, which is tied to the Islamic State, is continuing in Ituri province. One commander has been captured, the military says.
The coalition of Ugandan and the Democratic Republic of Congo armies has announced they killed “at least” 30 combatants suspected to be from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) during an offensive against bastions of the rebel group near Boga in Irumu territory of Ituri province.
The offensive that was launched on Dec 11 is continuing, according to Colonel Mak Hazukay, spokesperson of the joint forces.
“This morning, two ADF fighters were neutralised in Irumu. Why are we carrying out so much bombing? Because, we have found out that the enemy has a redoubtable arm which is the artisanal bomb. The artisanal bomb does not allow our soldiers to do searches and this slows down the progress of our forces and causes many of our soldiers to be wounded so we decided to directly bombard once we locate a bastion”, the spokesperson explained.
Not far away from Boga, in Beni territory of North Kivu, an ADF chief was captured and another one killed in an ambush in Karuruma, a secondary road that links Butembo to the border town of Kasindi.
“I confirm that there is a commander who was captured. We do not want at the moment to reveal his identity in order not to disturb the work of our services. There is another one who was neutralised”, Colonel Hazukay declared.
The army’s claims could not be independently verified.
Since the end of 2021, the Congolese and Ugandan armies have been operating together in a part of Beni territory and Irumu in search of ADF rebels accused of killing thousands of civilians in the zone during the past eight years.
The joint operations have been extended to Ituri, precisely in the Mambassa and Irumu territories where the assailants have taken refuge.
The armed forces have called on the population in the operation zones to be more vigilant because after intense bombardments targeting the bastions of the assailants, the rebels are now on the run and heading notably to parts of Beni territory.
Support Our Journalism
There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.
To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.
Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.
Donate Here
