Army Presses Fight Against Rebel Group
Liberia’s armed forces went on the offensive against rebels whose arrival near the capital, Monrovia, had prompted a state of emergency and sent thousands of civilians fleeing, an official said.
The fighting broke out Thursday and lasted several hours. The government said rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy had killed at least 15 people.
“We are still fighting them over the town of Bopolu,” Defense Minister Daniel Chea said.
Bopolu, 45 miles north of Monrovia, has been used in recent weeks as a rebel base.
Rebels have been waging an insurrection in northern Liberia, but this marks the first time fighting has occurred near the capital.
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