The Ugandan military has announced the neutralization of the terrorists responsible for the attack on tourists in a western national park on October 17th. This attack had been claimed by the Islamic State group, to which the rebel organization known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) pledged allegiance.
According to Ugandan authorities, the commando was pursued on Lake Edward, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “Our joint forces tracked them from the attack on the tourists until we located them as they crossed Lake Edward on night boats and eliminated them,” stated Colonel Deo Akiiki, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Ugandan army, in an interview with AFP.
In total, there were seven terrorists. Six of them were killed by gunfire or drowned while attempting to escape, while the seventh man was apprehended. The Ugandan military believes him to be the leader of the commando, known as “Njovu,” and mentioned that he “carried the deceased guide’s identification card and some belongings of the murdered foreign tourists.”
Another Mission Underway
On October 17th, two foreign tourists, a South African and a British national on their honeymoon, along with their guides, were brutally murdered by presumed ADF members in the heart of Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, a significant tourist destination in the country. Tourism contributed to nearly 10% of Uganda’s GDP last year, according to official statistics.
Ugandan General Dick Olum, responsible for anti-ADF operations in the DRC, revealed that the group had been planning “another mission to carry out further terrorist attacks,” unaware that the military was monitoring their movements. Uganda and the DRC had launched a joint offensive in 2021 against the terrorist group within Congolese territory. Regarding the operation on Tuesday evening, the Congolese authorities contacted stated that they were not involved.