ugnet_: Rebels attack Soroti town

[gook makanga]

Rebels attack Soroti town
By Monitor team
June 25, 2003

Rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army yesterday morning launched a three-pronged attack on Soroti town. At least four people were confirmed dead in the attack that started just after 1 a.m. Two UPDF soldiers reportedly died in the fighting which lasted about 45 minutes. The Director General of the External Security Organisation, Mr David Pulkol, said that a group of about 50 rebels attempted to attack Soroti town. "The attempt was foiled. We knew about it in advance and the commanders were alerted," Pulkol said on phone from Soroti. He said that Charles Tabuley led the group following orders from LRA commander, Vincent Otti. Pulkol was silent on the causalities but said that the rebels were confronted before getting to the civilians they wanted to abduct. Appearing on a local radio together with one Capt. Agaba, the Soroti RDC, Edward Masiga said the fact that the attack was foiled means that there is no need to panic. The rebels first attacked Nakatunya, half a kilometre outside Soroti town, using mostly small arms. About ten minutes after, shots rang out in the general direction of Soroti Flying School where the army has set up its tactical base. Then sustained gunfire was heard south of the town around the Agip suburb and the Kichinjaj area down the Soroti-Mbale road. Three of the four civilians who died fell on the Soroti-Moroto highway and the other died at Arapai trading centre along the Soroti-Lira highway. RDC warns on rumours RDC Masiga and Capt. Agaba warned people who are spreading rumours of impeding attacks in order to loot the property of those who would have fled. Such rumour-millers, Mr Masiga warned, would be treated like the terrorists (rebels). Masiga, who chairs the district security committee, said that the rebels would be defeated. "Very soon we shall have a major engagement with them [the rebels]," Masiga said. "We have filled all the places where they have been eluding us." Masiga then added: "I only hope they shall stand and fight and not run like they have been doing." Masiga advised people to stay indoors after midnight. "I am not imposing a curfew," he said. "But give our forces time to operate. Stay indoors and do not come our early again. You might be caught in the crossfire." 40 abducted in Gulu In other attacks elsewhere, at least 40 people were abducted from within six kilometres of Gulu town on Sunday and yesterday. Local people said that the rebels took 23 people from Kilombe parish in Layibi division, one kilometre south of Gulu town. A mentally sick woman was shot dead as the rebels fled, upon being pursued by the army. Another 19 people were on Monday night abducted from around Unyama camp for displaced people, five kilometres east of Gulu town. UPDF's 4th Division spokesman Lt. Paddy Ankunda confirmed the two attacks but said that he had no details. He only said that an unspecified number of people were abducted from the villages around Unyama valley on Monday. Joint report By Henry Ochieng, Sylvester Onyang, Patrick Elobu Angonu & Richard M. Kavuma

© 2003 The Monitor Publications

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