Democratic Republic of the Congo: 49 dead in clashes between army and Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in Beni
At least 37 rebels and 12 soldiers were killed over four days of fierce fighting in Beni, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said a top general.
“We neutralized 37 ADF [Allied Democratic Forces] fighters and, unfortunately, 12 of our soldiers fell on the battlefield,” Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, deputy spokesperson for the Congolese army, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
He claimed the Congolese army has reduced ADF’s influence in the region by 80%.
More than 300 civilians have been killed in what are seen as retaliatory attacks since Congolese forces launched an offensive against armed groups in eastern Congo at the end of last October, according to a local NGO, the Study Centre for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (CEPADHO).