Ugandan army says it captured ADF base in Ituri

Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF) said its troops in eastern DR Congo on Thursday, July 10, captured the base camp of ADF Islamist militia leader Musa Baluku's in Apakwang, Ituri Province.

"After air and artillery strikes last Sunday morning, UPDF troops advanced and captured a huge camp that used to accommodate 1,000 to 1,500 terrorists and their families," Chris Magezi, a UPDF spokesperson, said on Friday in a post on X.

"The UPDF forces also captured huge gardens of rice, beans and cassava. Hot pursuit against fleeing ADF remnants further west in the offensive is ongoing."

The ADF militia, which originates from Uganda, is one of the sanctioned terrorist groups operating in DR Congo. An attack on a Ugandan school by the Islamic State-affiliated militia killed at least 40 children in June 2023.

Uganda deployed troops to Ituri in 2021, under Operation Shujaa, to hunt down the militia.