AFPAFP 42 minutes ago..
UN-deployed South African snipers have killed six M23 rebels in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, a military union official said Thursday.
"We hit targets on at least six occasions with snipers," said South African
Defence Union national secretary Pikkie Greeff. "In one case the target was
2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) away."
"On Saturday a South African sniper took out a machine gun post," he added.
Defence Force spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga confirmed South
Africa forces had engaged rebels, but could not elaborate on the sniper
reports.
South African soldiers are part of a UN intervention brigade, which has an
unprecedented mandate to battle the armed movements long active in eastern
Congo.
They are fighting the M23 rebel movement, a predominantly ethnic Tutsi force
that deserted from the army last year and been battling the regular army in
the Goma area in sporadic clashes broke a July truce.
Greeff said that on Wednesday Russian-made Mi-24P helicopters belonging to
the Ukrainian Air Force also joined the airstrikes on rebel targets around
Goma.
And Mabanga told AFP: "Yesterday components comprising Tanzanian and South
African companies provided fire support in forms of artillery bombardment
and mortar shells together with gunships and airstrikes."
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday confirmed three South African soldiers had
been injured in the clashes.
"Three of our soldiers have been injured in the conflict since the weekend,
largely from shrapnel wounds. None have been seriously wounded."
Mabanga said the injuries were sustained though bombs and exchanges of fire.
"One South African soldier suffered a bullet wound on the limb. Later
another South African soldier suffered a wound from shrapnel," he added.
South Africa's Times newspaper quoted an unnamed soldier as saying the
UN-backed assault came after the M23 attacked supply lines between Goma and
Rwanda.
"Our snipers were specifically targeting rebel command-and-control posts,"
the soldier said.
"It appears from information coming from the front that the officers were
busy planning attacks on DRC and UN bases," he added.
Within weeks South Africa is expected to deploy two Rooivalk helicopters to
the DRC, according to the defence union's Greeff.
"Those things have much more firing power than the Mi-24P," he said.
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
_______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
[email protected]
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
