On March 7 the Burundian government claimed its troops drove another rebel probe out of Bujumbura and had regained complete control of the northern suburbs that were hotly contested in a series of battles that began in late February. Western journalists reported that the Kinama area was quieter. However, a National Liberation Forces (FNL) rebel spokesman said that the FNL still had troops in the area. On March 8, the National FNL backed up the claim by launching a series of attacks in the Bubanza district of Kinama.