UNITA says it has the upper hand

The rebel UNITA movement claimed it had killed 65 government soldiers and seized the towns of Bungo and Ambuila near the northern government-held city of Uige, Reuters reported on Thursday. The news agency said the claim was made in a statement it had received from UNITA in which the rebel movement said that it now had the upper hand after a week of fighting in four provinces. Reuters said there was no independent confirmation of the report. Last week, UNITA said it held 70 percent of the countryside following the resumption of the civil war in December. Defence Minister General Kundy Payhama, however, has said the military situation was "entirely under his control", the report said.