Rebels repelled from Masiaka and Port Loko

Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels attacked the strategic junction town of Masiaka, some 60km east of Freetown, but were repelled by government forces on Sunday, Sierra Leone’s Information Minister, Julius Spencer, told IRIN on Monday. There were no details of casualties on either side, Spencer said. The rebels were briefly in control of Masiaka last week after driving UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) forces out, before government forces retook the town. Spencer said pro-government forces also repelled “several” rebel attacks on Port Loko, northeast of Freetown, late on Friday. “Two government soldiers were injured during the attacks,” he said. The government had no details of rebel casualties but Spencer said he believed “scores were killed.” “There has been no activity for more than 36 hours and the government is in control of Port Loko,” he said. He added that a small number of RUF rebels are believed to have retreated to Rogberi Junction some 15 km east of Port Loko while their headquarters in the area remains the northern town of Makeni.