The Uganda People Defence Forces-UPDF has discovered eight bodies of suspected Allied Democratic Force-ADF rebels in the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The force has also seized 80 rounds of ammunition from a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, commonly known as the PK, 45 rounds of ammunition of a 12.7 mm machine gun and a number of assorted items that included medicine. The development comes two days after UPDF and FADRC forces seized eight guns from the group when it was intercepted along the Nobili-Mukakati route after killing 16 civilians.
In January the joint forces discovered at least seven mass graves near Kambi Ya Yua in North Kivu, the former stronghold of ADF. The mass graves, according to the security forces contained bodies of suspected ADF rebels, who could have been killed when UPDF and their DRC counterparts launched airstrikes in November last year and followed up with subsequent attacks.
Operation Shujja spokesperson Maj. Peter Mugisa told URN on Wednesday that the dead bodies were discovered when UPDF went back for a search and rescue mission. He reported that more than 15 rebels have been killed by the joint forces along the same route since Sunday.
Maj. Mugisa said that the joint forces are still on the ground to neutralise the rebels despite the recent attacks they have launched on communities, especially in Nobili. He added that they are still extending an olive branch to rebels who would wish to surrender their arms and benefit from the government’s amnesty program.