30 Kony Rebels Killed In Fighting

By Dennis Ojwee Thirty Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels were yesterday morning killed during a fierce battle with the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) at Agoro Trading Centre in Lamwo county, Kitgum district. The battle took place at dawn when about 400 rebels attacked a UPDF military base at Agoro.The UPDF 4th Division spokesman, Lt Paddy Ankunda, said he did not have details about the battle but said it was a great success for the UPDF.Local security sources said a UPDF Major and some soldiers were killed in the battle.The 4th Division commander was not available for comment as he was locked up in a security meting in Gulu barracks.The Division Intelligence officer, Capt. Abdu Rugumayo, said the rebels attacked the trading centre from the Agoro hills in a bid to penetrate deeper into the country from Kitgum. He said the rebels thereafter retreated back to Sudan border through the same Agoro hills.Rugumayo said only three UDPF soldiers were confirmed to have sustained minor injuries during the battle. He, however, denied the reports that a UDPF major and other some soldiers were killed. “These people (LRA rebels) attacked us (UPDF) at our camp at dawn and they were battled out killing at least thirty of them and we recovered 27 submachine guns from them. “We had to use some artillery and the forces had been beefed up from the usual detachments to at least a battalion.” “The rebels thought they would still outnumber our forces the way they did on February 23 this year when they attacked Agoro market. “Our forces were quite alert and in big numbers,” Rugumayo said.Ends