KAMPALA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military said on Tuesday that its deployment of troops in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), specifically in the town of Bunia, has helped prevent civilian killings.

Chris Magezi, acting spokesperson for the Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF), told Xinhua by phone that the presence of Ugandan forces in Bunia, Djugu, and Mahagi has significantly improved security in the DRC's northern province of Ituri.

Uganda deployed troops several weeks ago to curb attacks by armed Lendu militants operating under the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) and other militias.

The mission also aims to prevent the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) from infiltrating the area. The ADF, a Ugandan rebel group affiliated with the Islamic State in Central Africa, has been entrenched in the jungles of the eastern DRC and is notorious for terrorizing villages.

"For the last several months, CODECO and other militias have intensified attacks against civilians in Ituri, killing, mutilating, and displacing children, women, and even their animals while setting villages on fire," Magezi said. "Our presence in Ituri Province has since stabilized the situation. People now feel reassured and more confident than ever."

Last week, the Ugandan military reported the killing of 242 CODECO militants in a two-day battle in Fataki, eastern DRC. During the operation, the UPDF lost one commander, with four soldiers wounded. Enditem

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