[allAfrica.com] [celtel.com] UPDF Kills 120 Lra in Sudan New Vision (Kampala) NEWS July 30, 2004 Posted to the web July 30, 2004 By Emmy Allio Kampala A joint air and ground UPDF attack on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) main camp at Bilinyiang, on Wednesday left 120 rebels dead, defence minister Amama Mbabazi said yesterday. The camp, eight kilometres out of Juba city in southern Sudan, is surrounded by 30 acres of simsim and sorghum. It was attacked with the approval of the Sudan government. The camp, measuring about two square kilometres, had three LRA camps. "It was overrun and destroyed. The death toll of 120 is only from one camp. The body count continues in other camps, but Kony survived," Mbabazi told the press at the International Conference Centre, Kampala. He said the army would soon avail details of the casualties in all the camps. On UPDF casualties, he said, "It was a surprise air and ground attack. The enemy was taken by surprise as they had known that we could never cross the red line (Latitude 4 34'N)." Mbabazi said before the attack Kony was rotating in the areas of Jabelein, Lubanga-Tek, Nisitu and across the red line near the Sudan People's Armed Forces (SPAF) camps for security. The minister hailed the Sudan government's cooperation over the attack. He said the army had only one mission, to hunt Kony. However, Mbabazi said Kony could still benefit from the ongoing amnesty. He said the red line separating Sudan and Ugandan armies as marked by the Torit-Nisitu-Juba road no longer exists. He said, "We are now hunting for him everywhere. With Sudan government support, the red line barrier is no more. I have no doubt that Kony's days are fewer and near." Weapons captured in the battle included 36 AK-47 rifles three G-2/PKM guns with three chains of ammunition, five Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers with six grenades and five fuses. Others were seven SPG-9 bombs, one bazooka with two bombs, one high frequency man-pack radio, one VHF walkie-talkie, one VHF base station, four solar panels, 10 anti-personnel mines, 32 grenades, one 82mm recoilless bomb, one 60mm mortar launcher with three bombs, one bipod of 12.7mm gun and three chains of 12.7mm ammunition, cows and food. Mbabazi said surviving Kony commanders still in Sudan were Odhiambo, Raska, Lamola, Wod Pacho, Lapanyikwala and Lotiba. "These commanders are for launching attacks on civilian settlements and SPLA and EDF detaches for food, arms and ammunition, which they are badly in need of," he said. Mbabazi said Kony was "a totally demoralised man, having been psychologically affected by continued defections and captures of his fighters as a result of UPDF pressure against them." He said the UPDF operations in Sudan and northern Uganda in the past two months has yielded 735 rebels killed, 250 captured children rescued, and 202 rebel fighters had defected. Over the same period 60 rebels were captured including Kony's former adviser Brig. Kenneth Banya and 166 AK-47 rifles B-10 guns and SPG-9 bombs were recovered. The minister said the army would soon resume the disarmament programme in Karamoja. He said remnants of Allied Democratic Army (ADF) and People Redemption Army (PRA) were still active in eastern Congo.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2004 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================