▁Lord ' s ▁Res istance ▁Army ▁is ▁a ▁bar bar ic ▁group ▁origin ating ▁in ▁northern ▁U g anda ▁and ▁responsible ▁for ▁w ides p read ▁murder , ▁tort ure , ▁child ▁ab du ction , ▁sex ▁sla very ▁and ▁forced ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁child ▁' s old iers '. ▁ ▁The ▁group ▁had ▁been ▁forced ▁out ▁of ▁U g anda ▁and ▁was ▁ro aming ▁remote ▁areas ▁of ▁( what ▁is ▁now ) ▁South ▁Sud an , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁and ▁the ▁Central ▁African ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁A U - R TF ▁U g anda ▁had ▁conducted ▁military ▁ra ids ▁into ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁Congo , ▁target ing ▁L RA ▁cam ps ▁( see ▁article ▁ 2 0 0 8 – 0 9 ▁Gar amba ▁off ensive ). ▁ ▁Most ▁not ably ▁Operation ▁Light ning ▁Th under , ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁saw ▁aer ial ▁bomb ard ment ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁L RA ▁camp ▁in ▁the ▁Gar amba ▁National ▁Park , ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo . ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁ground ▁troops ▁searching ▁former ▁re bel ▁cam ps . ▁ ▁During ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁International ▁C riminal ▁Court ▁issued ▁arrest ▁war r ants ▁for ▁the ▁founder ▁and ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ' s ▁Res istance ▁Army , ▁Joseph ▁K ony , ▁together ▁with ▁four ▁of ▁his ▁top ▁leaders . ▁ ▁Of ▁these , ▁R aska ▁L uk wi