On Friday (June 16) night, terrorists associated with ISIS killed more than 40 people in Mpondwe town in Kasese district in Western Uganda. The attack took place at the Lhubiriha secondary school, resulting in the death of at least 38 students.
Besides, one school guard and two members of the local community were also killed. As per reports, the Islamist organisation ‘Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)’ is said to be behind the deadly terror attack. ADF is known to have close ties with ISIS.
According to the National Police spokesperson Fred Enaga, the bodies of the deceased students were transferred to the nearby Bwera hospital. Besides, 8 victims are said to be in critical condition.
The police confirmed 25 people, mostly students, killed in an ADF attack on Kasese school, fearing the number could be higher as their operation was still on-going. #NTVNews
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) June 17, 2023
"A hot pursuit by the UPDF and the police is ongoing, towards Virunga national park," a police statement… pic.twitter.com/54Qj9hKd4X
The terrorists burnt down a male dormitory, looted a food store and abducted female students of the Lhubiriha secondary school, following the attack. The male students were burnt or hacked to death.
Reportedly, some bodies had burnt beyond recognition that DNA tests need to be conducted to ascertain their identity. Heavy security has been deployed at the Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, following the dastardly terror attack.
The Ugandan forces are now trying to chase down ADF terrorists and rescue the abducted students. “Our forces are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted and destroy this group,” remarked defence spokesperson Felix Kulayigye.
WATCH :Heavy deployment of security at the Lhubirira Secondary school in Mpondwe, Kasese, as security forces have cordoned off the area. This after the ADF attack left several dead.#NTVNews
— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) June 17, 2023
📹 David Bukenya pic.twitter.com/HQilgDlAvR
Reportedly, the Ugandan forces had intelligence about ADF terrorists camping on the border area on the side of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prior to the attack on Friday.
In a tweet, the Uganda police force said, “We do offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, and offer our prayers and thoughts to those who have been wounded.”
. @FredEnanga1 "Last night, we registered a terrorist attack by the ADF rebels, on Lhubirira secondary school, in Mpondwe, that is located about 2 kms, from the DRC border. A dormitory was burnt and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and… pic.twitter.com/3WVfY2q9lz
— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) June 17, 2023
It is said to be the first such attack in 25 years on a school in Uganda, which is located just 2 kilometres from the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In June 1998, ADF terrorists killed 80 students studying at the Kichwamba Technical Institute in Uganda. More than 100 people were also abducted.
In a tweet, a popular political figure Winnie Kizza said, “I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on our students. Attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children’s rights.”
I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on our students. Attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children’s rights. Schools should always be a safe place for every student, where students can learn, play and grow to reach their full potential.
— Winnie Kiiza (@WinnieKiiza) June 17, 2023
“Schools should always be a safe place for every student, where students can learn, play and grow to reach their full potential,” she added.
36 Christians killed by ADF in Congo
On March 9 this year, the Islamist outfit announced that it had murdered 36 Christians in Mukondi village in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
ADF stated that the killings were targeted at “Christians”. It further added that the murders were executed using guns and knives and that the properties of the deceased were destroyed.
According to local authorities, at least 45 people were killed in a series of attacks on different villages by the Allied Democratic Forces. It must be mentioned that the ADF has been active primarily in North Kivu province but has recently extended its operations to Ituri province and Goma.
Besides murders, ADF has been involved in raping, maiming and abducting civilians including children. The US government has recently offered a reward of up to $5 million for any information that could lead to the capture of the ADF leader, Seka Musa Baluku. Opindia has reported about the killing of 30 people by the ADF in November 2020.
