Ugandan troops kill 30 guerillas in southern Sudan

KAMPALA, Aug 06, 2004 (dpa) — Ugandan troops killed 30 rebels in an offensive carried out against a guerilla base in southern Sudan, a Ugandan army spokesman said Friday.

Ground troops with air support attacked a hideout of Lords Resistance Army LRA guerillas near the southern Sudanese city of Juba on Wednesday. In addition to the 30 dead, 40 injured rebels were believed carried off by retreating colleagues, said army spokesman for the northern region, Lieutenant Paddy Ankunda.

After signing an agreement with Khartoum, Uganda sent thousands of soldiers to southern Sudan in 2002 to battle the LRA who have been fighting the government in Kampala for 17 years.

The insurgency has left thousands dead or maimed while tens of thousands of children and youths have been abducted by the rebels for forced drafting.