The Ugandan army has launched a new "Sweep Operation" to wipe out Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels who are still hiding in northern Uganda, reported state-owned newspaper The New Vision on Monday.

Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) 509 Brigade spokesman Lt.Tabaro Kiconco was quoted as saying that all suspected rebel hideouts in the north are to be destroyed under the operation.

Kiconco said they recovered one rocket propelled grenade in Lacekocot in Pader district on Friday.

"We suspect that the rebel left the rocket propelled grenade toact as landmine and kill UPDF soldiers who are carrying out the Sweep Operations," he said.

He said the operation would go on for as long as the LRA rebelswere committing crimes against civilians and ignored talks with the government to end the war peacefully.

"We have launched the daily operations to prevent the ill-equipped LRA rebels, who still pose a threat to the civilians, from attacking the displaced persons' camps and massacring people," the spokesman added.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the resumption ofmilitary operations against the LRA rebels beginning from January 1 after LRA commanders rejected the ceasefire agreement which was scheduled to be signed on Dec. 31, 2004.

The 18-year civil war has displaced over 1.6 million people andmaimed tens of thousands in northern Uganda.

Source: Xinhua