(Recast) Uganda says kills over 100 ADF rebels in eastern DR Congo

KAMPALA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military said on Monday that it killed over 100 Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in an operation last Friday against rebel camps in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The airstrike and artillery operation, code-named "Tuugo," targeted eight ADF camps in Eringeti triangle in the DRC's North Kivu province, Maj. Ronald Kakurungu, spokesperson of the operation, told Xinhua by phone from the western border district of Bundibugyo.

Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) used fighter jets and long artillery to carry out preemptive attacks on the ADF bases of Madina, Canada, Tadia, Popoke, Makayoba, Kainama, Ngiti and Kikingi after receiving intelligence that the rebels were planning to attack the east African country, Kakurungu said.

"Our FARDC counterparts have since confirmed that up to 100 ADF were killed and eight camps destroyed in Eringeti area where the strikes targeted," said Kakurungu, using the acronym of the DRC armed forces.

"We don't know the numbers of those injured because they moved out of the area," he said. "We believe they suffered a lot of serious injuries."

Kakurungu said the military has been heavily deployed at the common border with the DRC to prevent rebels from infiltrating into the country to revenge the heavy losses that they suffered.

"We have properly reinforced the border positions and the forces are on standby to be able to react and eliminate any groups that will try to cross into our side," said Kakurungu.

"We are not sending any infantry troops as yet," he said. "The arrangement we have for now with the DRC is that we shall continue only conducting long-range (strikes) and assaulting their [ADF] positions from our side of the border and our FARDC counterparts conduct ground assaults."

DRC government spokesperson Lambert Mende Omalanga, in a statement sent to Xinhua on Saturday, said the two militaries agreed to share intelligence about the ADF and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

"Congolese and Ugandan forces are each enough prepared to deal with those negative groups in their respective countries," Omalanga said.

The Ugandan assaults came after recent ADF attacks in eastern DRC, including the Dec. 7 killing of 15 United Nations peacekeepers and 5 DRC soldiers. More than 50 others were also injured in the attack in North Kivu province. Enditem