Angola's army has captured the northern town of Buengas, which rebels had controlled for the last 10 years, the Roman Catholic radio network Ecclesia said Tuesday.
Hidden by forests and by savannahs, Buengas sits on a triangle of land carved out by the Cuilo, Buenga and Caule rivers in Uige province.
Until now, it had played a key role in the rebel's northern operations, and its easily defended location had helped the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) fend off government attacks.
Last week the government announced that it had taken from UNITA the towns of Cuilo, Cambulo and Lubalo in the mineral-rich province of Lunda-Norte, 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Luanda.
The army launched a major offensive against UNITA in 1998, after the rebels were widely blamed for the collapse of a peace deal.
Fighting has intensified during recent weeks. Earlier Tuesday, UNITA said it had killed 108 people among the government forces.
The rebels last week rejected government demands for a unilateral ceasefire as a precondition for a new round of peace talks – LUANDA (AFP)
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