Rebels have killed at least 52 villagers in northern Uganda, the army has said.

Some residents of Lapono village were hacked to death with machetes, while 34 were gathered together into their huts, which were then set on fire, according to army spokesman Lieutenant Paddy Ankuda.

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been fighting the government of President Yoweri Museveni for 16 years and has recently intensified attacks in northern Uganda.

There is no independent confirmation of the reports.

The BBC's Will Ross in Uganda says the massacre was apparently in revenge after a man from Lapono, 300 km north of the capital, Kampala, deserted the rebels ranks and handed himself over to the army, along with his gun.

He says the LRA often carries out such forms of collective punishment and is not clear if either the deserter or his family were among those killed.

Peace talks

Earlier this year, the Ugandan army pursued LRA forces into Sudan, which had previously backed the rebels, and vowed to crush them once and for all.

But this offensive only pushed the rebels deeper into Ugandan territory.

A rare picture from New Vision of LRA leader Joseph Kony

Religious leaders are trying to organise peace talks and earlier this month Roman Catholic archbishop John Baptist Odama said President Museveni has designated contact zones where negotiations could be held.

The LRA frequently abduct civilians, either boys to serve as fighters, or girls as sex slaves for rebel commanders.