Armed attack on Liberian border town

Armed men operating from Guinea attacked the Liberian border town of Voinjama, Lofa County and temporarily kidnapped 17 foreign aid workers, a government statement said on Wednesday.

Deputy Information Minister Milton Teahjay told IRIN on Thursday: "The government has not yet been able to establish who the armed men were and the motives for the attack are as yet unclear."

Reports from travellers in the region said the attackers were from two former militia groups - the ULIMO-K and the ULIMO-J movements, according to Reuters.

Reacting to these reports Teahjay said: "They may be ULIMO people but we are not yet in a position to be sure. We are still gathering information in a methodical and responsible way, including any details of possible casualties." He added that the hostages were released after Liberian government forces repelled the attack and the situation was now "under control".

The government said it planned to make a representation to the authorities in Guinea, Reuters reported.

The two ULIMO movements are each led by former warlords and civil war rivals of President Charles Taylor. ULIMO-J is led by ethnic Krahn leader, Roosevelt Johnson, now believed to be in exile in Nigeria. Last September, Taylor's forces attempted to arrest him, provoking clashes in Monrovia.

He sought refuge at the American embassy and was flown out of the country by the US military.

Voinjama, some 280 km north east of Monrovia, is the home town of ULIMO-K leader, Alhaji Kromah, who has been in self exile in the United States for much of the time since Taylor took office in August 1997. He recently accused Taylor's security forces of arbitrary arrests and warned of retaliation, Reuters said.