The architect of a deadly terrorist attack on a children’s boarding school in Uganda’s western region bordering the DRC has been arrested during a sting marine operation on Lake Edward.
Reports have emerged that Abdul Rashid Kyoto alias Njovu was arrested after a shootout with Uganda Army Naval Force (UPDF) on Lake Edward on Saturday evening. He was arrested with injuries.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has confirmed the arrest claiming that three other terrorists were killed and seven escaped during this operation which he considers “successful” by the Ugandan army.
“The other seven are still on the run, but we will catch up with them. Njovu was their commander. Njovu’s group was attacked by the UPDF boat on Lake Edward. They did not fully exploit their success after attacking the terrorists’ boat. Otherwise, all the terrorists would have been captured,” noted President Museveni.
“I congratulate the marines and the CMI for their good work, despite some shortcomings in the performance of the marines,” Museveni added.
For almost a year, the Ugandan army has been fighting alongside the Congolese army to hunt down the ADF, perpetrators of serial massacres in the Beni region, North Kivu and part of Ituri.
Lhubiriha school attack
Lhubiriha Secondary School is a privately owned school located in the district of Kasese, about 2km from the DRC border.
A witness identified as Mumbere Edgar Dido, 16, remembers that in July, ADF terrorists stormed his dormitory carrying machetes and guns and opened fire from outside, sending everyone diving under their beds.
“They continued to shoot through the windows, then set fire to our room while we were inside, before going to the girls’ dormitory,” he said.
Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze said while some of the students suffered fatal burns when the rebels set fire to a dormitory, others were shot or hacked to death with machetes.
Ugandan authorities recovered the bodies of 41 people, including 38 students, who were burned, shot, or hacked to death by attackers at a secondary school.
At least six people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the grisly raid.
