1 s ▁in ▁small ▁numbers ▁during ▁an ▁ill - f ated ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁off ensive ▁against ▁the ▁National ▁Union ▁for ▁the ▁Total ▁Independ ence ▁of ▁Ang ola ▁( UN IT A ) ▁and ▁its ▁South ▁African ▁al lies , ▁which ▁initi ated ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Cu ito ▁Cu an av ale . ▁South ▁African ▁troops ▁subsequently ▁captured ▁ 2 ▁F AP LA ▁B MP - 1 s ▁in ▁int act ▁condition ▁and ▁destroyed ▁a ▁third . ▁Cuba ▁later ▁deployed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁its ▁own ▁B MP - 1 s ▁to ▁southern ▁Ang ola ▁during ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁off ensive ▁against ▁South ▁African ▁positions ▁near ▁the ▁border . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁F AP LA ▁renew ed ▁its ▁off ensive ▁against ▁UN IT A ▁during ▁Operation ▁Final ▁Ass ault , ▁deploy ing ▁B MP - mount ed ▁mechan ized ▁inf antry ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁large ▁numbers . ▁The ▁off ensive ▁was ▁abandoned ▁after ▁the ▁units ▁involved ▁suffered ▁heavy ▁cas ual ties ; ▁UN IT A ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁destroyed ▁or ▁captured ▁ 2 0 0 ▁F AP LA ▁B MP - 1 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁F AP LA ▁ordered ▁almost ▁ 3 0 0 ▁new ▁B MP - 1 s ▁from ▁Bel arus , ▁Bulg aria , ▁and ▁Russia ▁to ▁replace ▁those ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁civil ▁war . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁UN IT A ▁had ▁captured ▁enough ▁B MP - 1 s ▁and