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Uganda

Rebel group kills 8 people in northern Uganda

KAMPALA, Dec 15, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Rebels of the Lord 's Resistance Army (LRA) have killed eight civilians in an ambush in the northern Ugandan district of Lira.

The northern army spokesman, Lt. Chris Magezi told Xinhua by telephone on Thursday that the civilians were killed when the rebels attacked a pick-up vehicle they were traveling in on Tuesday afternoon.

The spokesman said among the dead included seven adults and one child.

He said the vehicle was ambushed at Ogowie parish between Aloi and Omoro.

Magezi noted that the attack was carried out by a group of about five rebels.

He said that the Uganda People's Defense Force has now beefed up the security in the war-torn regions as the festive season approaches.

The LRA have been fighting the government for the 19 years in a rebellion that has left tens of thousands of people dead and over 1.4 million others displaced from their homes and are now living in congested internally displaced person's camps.

During their operations, the rebels abduct children and force them to be their fighters while others are forced to be their wives or sex slaves.

The International Criminal Court recently issued arrest warrants for LRA leader Joseph Kony and his top commanders to answer for the war crimes they have committed.