Congo's army launches offensive in volatile east against group accused of abducting civilians
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A spokesman for Congo's army says it has launched an offensive in the east against a group of Islamic rebel fighters led by Ugandan commanders.
Col. Olivier Hamuli said Friday on the United Nations-run Radio Okapi that the army was involved in heavy fighting and that it intended to wipe out the group within days.
ADF-NALU, active in Congo's volatile east, boasts at least 800 fighters and reportedly abducted at least 80 Congolese civilians during the first half of last year, according to U.N. experts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier this month a colonel who played a leading role in defeating the notorious M23 rebel group late last year was killed while trying to flush out ADF-NALU near the town of Beni.
The operation is backed by U.N. peacekeepers in Congo.