Two rebels and 17 Angolan soldiers died in clashes that occurred in an oil-producing province between government forces and the separatist Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), according to a statement by the rebel group on Monday.
The statement said the largest clashes occurred on Saturday and Sunday, near the enclave’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Angolan authorities, have so far declined to comment. The enclave in question accounts for half of the country’s oil output.
FLEC’s latest claims represent the second of its kind over a three-day period. On Friday, the group said nine Angolan soldiers had been killed and 14 had been wounded as a result of clashes during the latter half of last week.