KAMPALA - A senior commander of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army rebels has surrendered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Charles Arop, believed to be behind a brutal attack last Christmas, handed himself in to the Ugandan military.

Fighters believed to be part of his unit used machetes and sticks to kill at least 143 people and abducted 160 children in eastern DR Congo.

The LRA's decades-long rebellion has spread from Uganda to several of its neighbours in recent years.

Ugandan special forces have been hunting the LRA through the DR Congo, the Central African Republic, and Sudan in an operation called "Lighting Thunder".

Until recently, Mr Arop commanded up to 100 men but Ugandan military spokesman Lt Col Felix Kulaygiye said his forces had been all but wiped-out.

The LRA has split into small groups of fighters who are scattered across three central African countries, analysts say.

This was the first of several raids which some reports say left 400 people dead.

The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, are waging a 20-year guerrilla war against the Ugandan government.

Mr Kony has said he wanted to establish a society based on the 10 Commandments.

Last year it appeared Mr Kony was about to sign a peace deal, and several other commanders had given up fighting.

The governments of the three countries have been co-operating to wipe out the remaining commanders.