The Ugandan Army killed 146 Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in several engagements throughout the Lira and Pader districts over the last three days. Two infantry battalions with support from a helicopter gunship killed 30 rebels in two fierce skirmishes on the 26th in Pader district.
The army killed 92 rebels between February 18-20, while 56 rebels defected and 15 surrendered. The army also rescued 302 abductees and recovered 10 anti-tank mines, a 12.7mm anti-aircraft, two light machine guns, two 60mm mortars with ten shells, three RPGs, two rifles, three B10 recoilless rifles and 65 head of cattle. This brings to 290 rebels killed since January 2004, while 18 rebels were captured alive, 82 defected and 444 civilian captives were rescued.
The State Department released a human rights report on the 26th, which highlights the suffering of northern Ugandans at the hands of the Lord's Resistance Army. LRA raids claimed 3,000 lives during 2003 alone. - Adam Geibel
