The Ugandan army on Friday claimed it was one step closer to defeating the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) after killing the group's chief-of-staff and the eldest son of LRA leader Joseph Kony.

The LRA chief-of-staff, Maj. Gen. Lakati Owor, and Ali Kony both died from gunshot wounds sustained during a battle three weeks ago with the army at Beyogoya-Palabek in Kitgum district, about 400 km north of the capital Kampala, the Ugandan army spokesman, Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza said.

"We did not know we had injured him, but rebels who surrendered in the past few days - some of whom were from his group - have since told us that he died from bullet wounds," he added.

The army said Lakati had been fourth in the LRA hierarchy and had been in charge of security for families of senior rebel commanders. He took over as chief-of-staff two years ago, when his predecessor Yadin Nyeko was promoted to LRA army commander, before the army killed him.

Bantariza said Lakati had staged brutal ambushes on buses, including the March 1996 ambush of a convoy on Karuma-Pakwach-Arua road in the north, in which some 100 people were killed and 12 vehicles destroyed.

The LRA rebels, based in southern Sudan, have fought the Ugandan government in their 19-year rebellion in northern Uganda.

The insurgents, notorious for their brutality, have abducted over 20,000 children to serve as soldiers or sex slaves of the commanders, according to the UN. The northern conflict has seen tens of thousands killed and an estimated 1.4 million people displaced from their homes.

Source: Xinhua