KAMPALA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 bodies have been recovered after the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels burnt a school dormitory in Kasese district in southwestern Uganda, about 2 km from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), police said here Saturday.
The ADF rebels attacked Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe overnight, burning a dormitory and looting a food store, police spokesperson Fred Enang tweeted.
"So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital. Also recovered are 8 victims, who remain in critical condition at Bwera Hospital," Enanga said.
He said a hot pursuit by the Uganda People's Defence Forces and the police is underway.
"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," he said, noting that more details will be availed in due course.
The ADF, which is a branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa, is a Ugandan rebel group that is holed up in the jungles of eastern DRC. The rebel group is blamed for causing havoc in villages in eastern DRC.
The Ugandan military and their Congolese counterparts launched joint operations on the rebel group in November 2021. ■
