548 ADF rebels killed in Congo: Ugandan army

KAMPALA, Uganda

The Ugandan army fighting Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Congo said Thursday it killed more than 548 rebels.

''Our army is doing well as far as eliminating ADF rebels in DR Congo is concerned. We have reduced their capacity to fight on. We have also captured a lot of their weapons," Maj. Bilal Katamba told Anadolu.

He said 50 rebels have been captured, 31 surrendered and 156 civilians have been rescued from rebels' captivity.

The army did not provide a number of soldiers killed but a spokesman said recently that armies rarely give figures for casualties during war.

He said during the early stages of the operation, the army used jet fighters and helicopter gunships to hit the rebel’s camps before sending ground troops to go after fleeing rebels.

ADF rebels originated in Uganda in the 1990s to overthrow incumbent President Yoweri Museveni but were overpowered by government troops and fled to the forests in Congo where they attack villages and kill civilians

In 2021, after ADF killed hundreds of civilians, authorities in Congo and Uganda decided to collaborate to fight the rebels.

In November 2021, Uganda sent troops to help Congo troops hunt rebels under a joint operation.