[Voice of America] JOHANNESBURG—Angola's main opposition parties say authorities have killed hundreds of people in attacks on a religious sect. The alleged attacks followed the death of nine police officers as police tried to seize the leader of the sect.Two weeks ago, nine police officers were killed during a raid in Huambo province aimed at capturing Jose Kalupeteka, leader of an outlawed sect called "The Light of the World."
The country’s main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, UNITA, contends that authorities killed hundreds of people in retaliatory attacks.
Angolan officials deny the accusation. They say the popular firebrand preacher Kalupeteka was captured and just 13 sect members were killed.
Numbers have been difficult to verify as access to the affected area has been sealed off. But several locals have described what happened as “an environment of war."