Hutu rebel leader killed

The Rwandan army says it has discovered the body of a Hutu rebel leader as it continues to drive out Interahamwe and Exfar rebel elements on the run in the country's north-western provinces, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Rwandan deputy Chief of Staff, General James Kabarebe, told the BBC that around 100 rebels had been killed in the fighting over the last week, including one of their commanders, Major Kamanyora.

Rwandan security forces have been trying to stop cross-border raids from Congo, where the Hutu Interahamwe rebels have been based since they fled after instigating the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The latest insurgency started a week ago in the neighbouring province of Ruhengeri - a former rebel stronghold.

Correspondents say their return in numbers to the Rwandan side of the border could be a result of efforts to remove all foreign forces from the Congo civil war.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service