New details on Catete attack

Scores of UNITA rebels using mortars and automatic weapons launched a pre-dawn hit-and-run raid on the town of Catete near the capital Luanda on Tuesday in which they looted humanitarian supplies and killed several people. A representative Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA), who was in the town just 60 km east of Luanda at the time of the attack, told IRIN that the number of those killed was still being counted. But they included the local Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) commander, the local police commander and the local secretary of the governing MPLA party. The Catete FAA headquarters was destroyed. He said that mortar shelling and automatic weapons fire lasted for several hours from the start of the assault at 4:10 a.m. until the time they had left at 9:15 a.m.: "Approximately 80 to 100 UNITA personnel entered Catete. They took the police and government forces by surprise entering the town from several directions." Other humanitarian sources said many of rebels were disguised in army and police uniforms. Food and clothing was stolen from the NGO Street Childrens' Shelter, and the local Catholic Church and hospital were also reportedly looted. "Two civilians were confirmed killed, but several people, including women and children were kidnapped and the death toll is expected to be much higher," the NPA representative said. NPA, the largest de-mining organisation in Angola, said none of its 70 local employees had been hurt in the attack. Afterwards, the UNITA rebels left on foot and in stolen vehicles. By 9:30 a.m., as people returned to the streets, many hailed taxis and minibuses and fled to Luanda. Angola's official media also blamed UNITA for the attack but gave few details. The town was reportedly calm on Wednesday and again under government control.