Civilians killed in Angola rebel attacks

At least eighteen people have been killed in Angola in two separate rebel attacks south of the capital, Luanda.

In one incident, UNITA rebels killed sixteen people in a raid on the small town of Caluquembe early on Thursday morning.

And in the other, UNITA rebels ambushed five vehicles on the outskirts of the western coastal city of Benguela.

Eyewitnesses say two people died and eleven were wounded there.

The attacks come days after Angola commemorated twenty-five years of independence, with President Dos Santos describing the military situation as encouraging.

But a BBC correspondent in Angola says reports from around the country show UNITA continues to provide a serious threat to security.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service