Goma, Wednesday
ZAIREAN rebel leader Laurent Kabila said today his forces had captured the key northeastern town of Bunia, killing 300 government troops.
The rebels previously said they had taken several towns still in government hands and the Christmas Day claim could not be independently verified. Kabila insisted his information was correct.
``We pushed back the Zaire army at midday yesterday to three kilometres away from Bunia. The town is completely under our control,'' he said at his villa in the city of Goma.
He said the Zairean army drove back rebels with a counter-offensive that began on Sunday until the rebel Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) took Bunia.
The fall of Bunia would hold great strategic significance because it is a major junction, has an airstrip and was heavily reinforced by troops.-Reuters.
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