¡¡¡¡KAMPALA, Aug. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said that the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) have killed 450 Lord Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and captured 37 others since the "Operation Iron Fist" launched against the rebelsin March this year.

¡¡¡¡In a 19-paged document titled "Operation Iron Fist: the balancesheet" which will be carried out by local daily "the Sunday Vision," Museveni said 470 civilians have been rescued during the operation.

¡¡¡¡As many as "568 rifles captured, 15 rocket-propelled grenades, 15 mortar tubes, four 12.7 mm machine guns, 2 Katyushas, 20 anti-tank land mines and 174 anti-personnel mines were all captured from the enemies," the president said.

¡¡¡¡He said the government army has also "lost 134 soldiers mainly due to internal mistakes."

¡¡¡¡Museveni disclosed that the Ugandan government has used the whole of the 4th division, plus a brigade from the 3rd, the 1st and 2nd divisions each, altogether 14,000 soldiers with 25 tanks, several batteries of long range artillery guns, elements of motorized infantry for escort duties and elements of the field engineering battalions for mine sweeping.

¡¡¡¡"This force was so over-whelming that LRA rebels could not put up a fight," Museveni said.

¡¡¡¡On the achievements of the operation, Museveni said the five-month operation eliminated LRA's permanent bases in the Sudan, enabling hundreds of abductees to either escape or be "freed" fromthe rebels and making it clear to the rebels that the Sudan, or any neighboring country, is nor "heaven."

¡¡¡¡He also said the LRA rebels kidnapped as many as 14,000 people from northern Uganda, adding that among them, 2,000 were used as fighters whom were organized in five groups.

¡¡¡¡"I am in position to assure all Ugandans that peace is, finally,coming to all parts of Uganda," Museveni said, adding that "LRA rebels will also be defeated." Enditem

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