At least 41 people were killed in a rebel attack on a school in Uganda near the border with Congo, authorities said Saturday.
The attack occurred at the Kasese district’s Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha. The school is located just over a mile from the Congo border.
The Ugandan military said the rebels, believed to be from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), attacked the school late Friday night. The ADF is a shadowy extremist group with ties to the Islamic State.
The military said the rebels killed 38 students, two security guards, and one civilian. The rebels also abducted six students.
The military said it is pursuing the rebels and that they are “determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The attack on the school is the latest in a series of attacks by the ADF in the region. The group has been active in eastern Congo for years and has carried out several attacks in Uganda in recent months.
The ADF is a designated terrorist group by the United States and the United Nations. The group is believed to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the region.
The attack on the school has sparked outrage in Uganda. President Yoweri Museveni condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We will not tolerate such acts of terrorism,” Museveni said. “We will hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
The attack on the school is a reminder of the ongoing threat of terrorism in the region. It is also a tragedy that has claimed the lives of innocent students.
