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As retreats, it is leaving death and devastation in its wake with the latest case being an unconfirmed number of civilians having been killed in a number of attacks by the ADF.
A few hours ago, a woman died after she was struck by a bullet from an ADF gun and also a vehicle was burnt by the ADF when the rebel group attacked the village of Kidungo, situated 2 kilometers from the Bulongo council in North Kivu.
It has been reported by observers in Ruwenzori that the ADF ambushed the vehicle, which was coming from the border area of Kasindi on its way to Oicha, and set it ablaze.
“The driver of the vehicle and his assistant succeeded in fleeing but a villager who was returning from his farm was killed by a stray bullet,” revealed Ricardo Rupande, president of the Ruwenzori sector civil society.
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“The incident took place at 11 a.m. local time while the ADF rebels were moving down south towards Ruwenzori.”
Other observers on the ground say the village of Kidungu is being used as a rear base by the ADF rebels especially when they retreat into the zone.
The Kidungu attack is the second attack on soft targets by the ADF ever since the UPDF, on November 30, with approval from the DR Congo, launched artillery and air strikes against alleged ADF positions in DR Congo’s Virunga National Park in North Kivu as a prelude to Ugandan troops crossing the border into DR Congo.
These recent attacks come three days after various attacks by the ADF rebels resulting in the death of eight persons including an ADF fighter on Monday morning in Bela and Ngwaba, 8 kilometres to the south near Mangina.
As the UPDF’s operations intensify, more deaths are expected as the ADF rebels retreat and turn their weapons on civilians in the process.