BENI, DR Congo, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The joint armed forces between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda destroyed late Thursday two strongholds of the rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in northeastern DRC, a military source told Xinhua Friday.
According to Athony Mualushayi, spokesman for DRC's army forces (FARDC) in the Beni area, the two main strongholds of the ADF rebels, located in Virunga National Park, located in DRC's north-eastern North Kivu province, are now under the control of the two armies.
Since November 30, the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), in collaboration with the FARDC, has officially launched air and artillery operations against several ADF rebel positions in northeastern DRC.
Two soldiers were wounded during the operations, one Congolese and one Ugandan, according to a statement reached to Xinhua by Athony Mualushayi.
"Our troops were in physical contact with the enemies, and despite the resistance of the latter, we managed to dislodge them and completely take control of (the locality of) Kambi YA Juwa," he said.
During an exchange on Friday between Major General Camille Bombele, newly-appointed Coordinator of the FARDC-UPDF joint military operations, and Major General Kayanja Muhanga of UPDF, the two forces reiterated their determination to eradicate the ADF and bring back definitive peace to the Beni region, according to the FARDC spokesman.
At least 1,700 Ugandan soldiers have already arrived on the Congolese soil since the beginning of the operations, accompanied by equipment including about 100 vehicles of the troop transport and battle tanks, according to the Congolese and Ugandan authorities.
The DRC northeastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, long plagued by violence incurred by armed groups, had been under a state of siege since May 6 due to violence by armed groups, especially the ADF rebels. Enditem