(Xinhua) -- About 50 National Liberation Force(Palipehutu-FNL) rebels were killed in heavy fighting Wednesday, the Burundian army said. The violent clashes, which took place in the Kabezi area on the outskirts of the capital Bujumbura, also left two soldiers dead and four others injured. The army launched an air and artillery attack to flush out pockets of Palipehutu-FNL resistance. The clashes were among the worst since the resumption of hostilities three weeks ago. A Palipehutu-FNL attack on April 17 triggered the fresh round of fighting that has now claimed more than 100 lives, and already forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes, local officials said.
Burundi is attempting to rebuild itself following a brutal civil war between its Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, which began in 1993. The government and Palipehutu-FNL signed a ceasefire agreement in 2006, but the implementation of the agreement was obstructed by the rebels' pursuit of a power-sharing agreement that the government has rejected.