Kampala — SECURITY forces in the West Nile region have recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in Yumbe district.

The discovery follows reports of fresh recruitment of ex-servicemen into rebel activities.

The regional UPDF spokesman, Lt. Robert Kamara, said the items included 24 anti-personnel fuses, 12 anti- personnel mines, two anti-tank mines, two motorvehicle mines and four anti-tank fuses, six SMG magazines, three chains for G2 light machine guns and two RPG fuses. They all had Islamic inscriptions on them.

Kamara said the items were recovered on Friday from Dramadi Habibu, a resident of Gojuru village, Mocha parish in Midigo sub-county during an operation by the army, local councillors and residents.

Kamara said Habibu is a former rebel of the defunct Uganda National Rescue Front II (UNRF II).

Residents, who saw Habibu with a military uniform, kept a close eye on him over the past six months until Thursday when they called in the army.

"We laid our strategies and swung into action at about 6:30am on Friday morning. We recovered the ammunition wrapped in a sisal sack and polythene bag. It was buried in an ant-hill in Habibu's garden," Kamara told Sunday Vision.

Habibu escaped but efforts were underway to apprehend him, he said, before adding that they suspect more people to be involved in what he called a 'collaboration network'.

"This is not a secret of one man. We must admit that there are some wrong elements in Yumbe."

He said an examination of the arms showed that some of them had been "freshly cleaned" in preparation for use. He condemned the stocking of landmines, saying they were outlawed.

"Professional forces around the world, including the UPDF, do not use mines because they kill indiscriminately."