Ugandan troops capture 12 Congolese rebels- spokesman

(SomaliNet) A Ugandan army spokesman said on Monday the army captured 12 armed insurgents from renegade Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda\'s group as they crossed into western Uganda.

The arrests follow an attack on a small Ugandan trading centre last week where the army killed two rebels from Nkunda\'s group, who are fighting the Congolese army in the violent North Kivu region.

\"These men have been captured in the last two days after illegally crossing in Uganda with their rifles, which is a big security issue in the region at the moment,\" said Captain Tabaro Kichoncho, military spokesman in western Uganda.

However, there was no immediate confirmation from Congolese authorities or Nkunda. Congo\'s central government signed a peace deal with Nkunda and dozens of other armed groups in January.

But Ugandan and DRC signed a deal last weekend to jointly combat rebels in their territories and re-mark their shared border.

Meanwhile, Ugandan districts border North Kivu and have suffered armed incursions since January 2007.-Reuters