KAMPALA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan military said Wednesday the chief of combat operations of the rebel group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), hidden in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been killed.

Brig. Richard Karimere, Uganda's military spokesperson, told Xinhua that Muhammad Kayiira who has been ADF combat operations strategist was killed after his group attacked the Congolese troops (FARDC) position near the city of Beni in North Kivu Province on Monday.

"We salute the FARDC troops on this victory against ADF terrorists that had attacked their position," said Karimere.

"The killing of one of the ADF leaders definitely weakens the group and FARDC can always count on support from the UPDF (Uganda People's Defense Forces) in its fight against such a common regional threat," he said.

The Congolese troops last month launched a military offensive in Beni against the ADF, a Ugandan rebel armed group accused for an attack that killed 15 United Nations peacekeepers in December, 2017.

The ADF attacked the UN peacekeepers in eastern DRC's North Kivu province on Dec. 7, killing at least 15 Tanzanian blue helmets, five DRC soldiers and wounded 53 others.