The Battle of Lukaya (Kiswahili: Mapigano ya Lukaya) was a battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War. It was fought on 10 and 11 March 1979 around Lukaya, Uganda, between Tanzanian forces (supported by Ugandan rebels) and Ugandan government forces (supported by Libyan and Palestinian troops). After briefly occupying the town, Tanzanian troops and Ugandan rebels retreated under artillery fire. The Tanzanians subsequently launched a counterattack, retaking Lukaya and killing hundreds of Libyans and Ugandans.
President Idi Amin of Uganda attempted to invade neighbouring Tanzania to the south in 1978. The attack was repulsed, and Tanzania launched a counterattack into Ugandan territory. In February 1979, the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) seized Masaka. The TPDF's 201st Brigade was then instructed to secure Lukaya and its causeway to the north, which served as the only direct route through a large swamp to Kampala, the Ugandan capital. Meanwhile, Amin ordered his forces to recapture Masaka, and a force was assembled for the purpose consisting of Ugandan troops, allied Libyan soldiers, and a handful of Palestine Liberation Organisation guerrillas, led by Lieutenant Colonel Godwin Sule.
On the morning of 10 March the TPDF's 201st Brigade under Brigadier Imran Kombe, bolstered by a battalion of Ugandan rebels, occupied Lukaya without incident. In the late afternoon the Libyans attacked the town with rockets, and the unit broke and fled into the nearby swamp. Tanzanian commanders ordered the 208th Brigade to march to the Kampala road to flank the Ugandan-Libyan force. At dawn on 11 March the 208th Brigade reached its target position and the Tanzanian counterattack began. The regrouped 201st Brigade assaulted the Libyans and Ugandans from the front and the 208th from their rear. Sule was killed, precipitating the collapse of the Ugandan defences, while the Libyans retreated. Hundreds of Ugandan government and Libyan troops were killed. The Battle of Lukaya was the largest engagement of the war. Amin's forces were adversely affected by the outcome, and Ugandan resistance crumbled in its wake. The TPDF was able to proceed up the road and later attack Kampala.
The BattleofLukaya (Kiswahili: Mapigano ya Lukaya) was a battleof the Uganda–Tanzania War. It was fought on 10 and 11 March 1979 around Lukaya, Uganda...
Lukaya may refer to: Lukaya, Uganda, a town in Kalungu District, Central Uganda BattleofLukaya, 1979 Lukaya District, a district in Bas-Congo province...
on 10 March 1979, starting the BattleofLukaya. Widely differing assessments of Maliyamungu's conduct during this battle exist. Whereas Msuya praised him...
counter-offensive during the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79. This operation culminated in the BattleofLukayaof 10–11 March 1979, during which Sule was killed...
Members of the organization fought alongside the Uganda Army and Libyan troops against the Tanzania People's Defence Force during the BattleofLukaya and...
gave Musuguri two spears in honor of "his gallant action in the BattleofLukaya". During his tenure, he was accused of encouraging ethnic favoritism in...
Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military. March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: BattleofLukaya: The Tanzanian military...
the final months of his rule, but spoke frequently on radio and television. Following a major defeat in the BattleofLukaya, parts of the Uganda Army...
officers unsuccessfully urged Amin to step down as President after the BattleofLukaya. Soon after, a Libyan officer visited Gowon's headquarters, and relayed...
its foreign allies to stop the Tanzanian advance failed. After the BattleofLukaya on 10–11 March 1979, the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) began...
against Amin in Uganda, but these attempts failed, most notably during the Battleof Tororo. While advancing into southern Uganda, Kikosi Maalum militants...
dead. The Battleof Sembabule was the longest battleof the Uganda–Tanzania War. After the victory at Sembabule and its success at Lukaya, the TPDF held...
Tanzanians in the BattleofLukaya on the eastern axis. The Uganda Army subsequently began to collapse. Many UA soldiers stationed in the Lukaya area deserted...
TPDF invaded Uganda. In March 1979, the TPDF decided to attack the town ofLukaya, Uganda, where the only road from Masaka to Kampala passed through. The...
kickboxer; in Kashiwa, Chiba The BattleofLukaya, a turning point in the ongoing Uganda–Tanzania War, occurred at Lukaya, when the Ugandan Army was decisively...
weakened Uganda Army suffered further defeats at the hands of the Tanzanians in the BattlesofLukaya and Entebbe. By April, many towns throughout Uganda, including...
however, Taban and many of the Sudanese soldiers in the Marine Regiment fled the frontlines around the time of the BattleofLukaya. Jaffar accused Taban...
Cooper & Fontanellaz 2015, p. 29. Isaac Mufumba (28 March 2021). "How battleofLukaya shaped war between Uganda, Tanzania". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 29 April...
the Suicide Battalion was involved in the BattleofLukaya during March 1979. On 11 April, Uganda's capital of Kampala fell to the Tanzanians and their...
reinforcements Amin had promised him were coming from Lukaya, 120 kilometres (75 mi) north of Mutukula. The men of the Suicide Battalion were furious, and Lupayi...
in a clash at Lukaya, Gaddafi sent large amounts of military equipment and 2,000 members of the People's Militia to Amin's aid. Many of the soldiers were...
withdrew to Lukaya, leaving the Suicide Battalion alone to defend Masaka. The TPDF's 201st and 208th Brigades attacked at dawn. A battalion of Ugandan rebels...
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Ugandan rebels
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Palestine Liberation Organisation