Unita wins Huambo battle

LUANDA (AFP, AP) - Angolan government troops have withdrawn from the embattled city of Huambo after a 56-day battle with rebel Unita forces, state radio reported late last night.

The government said it had withdrawn from Huambo for strategic reasons.

Defeat in Huambo, 530km (330 miles) south-east of Luanda, the capital, is a serious setback for the government, which committed tens of thousands of troops to the battle.