UNITA communique claims military successes

The Angolan UNITA rebel movement said in a statement to the media at the weekend that it had killed 68 government soldiers in battles with government forces during the past week. In a report which was not independently verified and which did not carry details of any casualties its own forces may have suffered, UNITA said it had killed 28 government soldiers when they ambushed a convoy 14 km north of the besieged central highlands city of Huambo on 20 July. The following day, it said 21 government soldiers were killed during a government offensive 10 km outside Huambo. On 22 July, UNITA claimed that it had killed 19 government soldiers 9 km outside the besieged government-held town of Malanje, 300 km east of Luanda.