Uganda army kills 8 Kenyan bandits, 1 soldier dead

KAMPALA, July 5 (Reuters) The Ugandan army said today it killed eight armed Kenyan bandits and lost one of its own soldiers in a gun battle on the two countries' border.

Army spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye said Pokot cattle raiders from western Kenya crossed the border and launched two attacks on Ugandan army positions on Tuesday, killing an officer.

''The patrol immediately returned fire and killed eight of them,'' he said, adding that the army recovered 250 heads of cattle they believed to have been raided by the Pokot.

The drought-prone region bordering northeastern Uganda and Kenya has suffered banditry and inter-clan wars for decades, fuelled by disputes over shrinking water supplies and cheap, semi-automatic weapons trafficked from the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations and aid agencies have criticised Uganda's army for what they say are heavy-handed tactics in efforts to disarm Karamojong warriors in the region, such as firing on villages from helicopter gunships.

Kenyan media reported the clashes had happened in Kenya and that the Ugandan army had fired rockets.

''This is speculation. It happened in Uganda, not Kenya.

There were no helicopters, no rockets,'' Kulayigye said.

Police in Nairobi said they knew of one Kenyan death and had unconfirmed reports that eight other Pokot men had been killed.

''We can't confirm whether they are Kenyan or Ugandan. They move to either country depending on where the grass is greener,'' police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told Reuters.

There was no tension between the two countries over the killing, he said, adding that the countries' forces were collaborating to end frequent cross-border cattle raids.

''We have a good relationship with Ugandan police and have been cooperating with them to bring down cattle rustling.'' REUTERS AGL VV1452