Angolan rebels say they captured town in siege

Angolan rebels said they had taken the eastern town of Cangamba after an 11 -day siege, killing 709 of the defenders including 120 Cuban soldiers. A communique issued here by UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) said 165 government troops were taken prisoner. It gave UNITA losses as 63 dead and 200 wounded.

Angola's President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, said Sunday that Cangamba had been completely destroyed in a dawn raid by eight South African planes. South Africa denied that its Air Force had been involved.

The official Angolan news agency Angop said 1,100 guerrillas had been killed as government forces beat off rebels in an eight-day battle for the town which began Aug. 2. Its report put government losses at 53 men.