On Saturday, local officials and police confirmed that militants associated with the Islamic State group have carried out a deadly attack in western Uganda, resulting in the deaths of 25 students.
This incident marks the country’s most severe attack in years.
The Ugandan army has responded by launching a pursuit of the militants belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who conducted the cross-border raid.
The targeted site was a secondary school called Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, located near the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Fred Enanga, the national police spokesman, the attackers set fire to a dormitory and looted a food store during the assault. The ADF is known to operate in the troubled eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital”, he said, referring to a nearby town.
“Also recovered are eight victims, who remain in critical condition at Bwera hospital.”
The Resident Commissioner for Kasese, Joe Walusimbi, told AFP that a number of students were still missing and the deceased so far were all pupils.
“All of the dead so far are confirmed to be students at the school,” he said.
The police did not provide additional details regarding the specific nature of the attack or the circumstances of the victims’ deaths.
The targeted school, Lhubiriha Secondary School, is situated less than two kilometers away from the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area where the ADF primarily operates.
The ADF has been accused of perpetrating violence against civilians for several decades, resulting in numerous casualties.
Fred Enanga mentioned that both the army and police units were actively pursuing the attackers, who fled towards the Virunga National Park across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces spokesman Felix Kulayigye expressed concerns that the ADF may have also kidnapped individuals during the incident.
“Our forces are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted and destroy this group,” he said in a statement.
