8 rebels killed, 9 captured in eastern DR Congo

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least eight Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels were killed and nine others captured in an operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern North Kivu province.

“There were intense clashes on Monday in Mwalika in Beni territory in which the joint troops (of DR Congo and Uganda) inflicted casualties on the rebels. The army also managed to recover various ammunition,” Lt. Colonel Mak Hazukay, spokesman for the joint forces told Anadolu.

Several magazines, homemade bombs, and communication gadgets were also recovered, Hazukay added.

The latest clashes came days after the joint troops overran the rebels’ base in Mwalika valley where they were planning attacks on certain localities in Beni, according to the joint forces.

The joint forces have called on ADF rebels in North Kivu and Ituri regions to lay down their arms and surrender.

The joint military operations against ADF rebels in eastern DR Congo were launched in late 2021. The ADF has been attacking and killing civilians in the eastern DR Congo for over two decades.

On Feb. 8, suspected ADF rebels killed 11 civilians after abducting them from their gardens in Beni.