Congo Army Says Kills 16 Ugandan Rebels, Loses Four Soldiers

The army of Democratic Republic of Congo killed 16 Ugandan Islamist rebels over the weekend in fierce fighting, a military spokesman said on Tuesday, part of a campaign to drive the militants from the country's volatile eastern region. Congolese forces launched Operation Sukola I early last year against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who are accused of massacring some 300 villagers near the town of Beni in North Kivu province between October and December. Four Congolese government soldiers were also killed in Sunday's fighting, which took place in Kokola, about 25 miles north of Beni, according to Major Victor Masandi, an army spokesman for the operation.