Rebel Attack on Ugandan Secondary School Leaves Dozens Dead.

A rebel assault on a secondary school in southwestern Uganda has resulted in over 40 casualties, the majority of whom are students, according to sources in the security sector. 

The attack took place on Friday night at Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, located approximately 2 km from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

The suspected rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) set fire to a school dormitory and ransacked a food store. Tragically, at least 17 students were burned to death. 

The militants also abducted six students, coercing them to carry stolen food. Uganda's military spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, affirmed that every effort would be made to locate and rescue the abducted students. 

Eight students, who sustained critical injuries, are currently receiving treatment at a hospital. President Yoweri Museveni has dispatched a team of high-ranking military officials to investigate the incident. Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces commander for the mountain division, Dick Olum, revealed that the rebels received assistance from individuals within Uganda. 

Olum urged the public to assist in identifying those who aided the ADF. The military has deployed aerial and ground forces in pursuit of the attackers, who may be seeking refuge in the Virunga National Park in the DRC. 

UNICEF has strongly denounced the attack, emphasizing the importance of schools as safe spaces for learners and calling for the immediate release and safe return of the abducted students. 

The ADF, an Ugandan rebel group affiliated with the Islamic State in Central Africa, is known to operate in the dense jungles of eastern DRC, causing widespread turmoil in nearby villages. 

Joint military operations were initiated by Ugandan and Congolese forces against the ADF in November 2021 following bomb attacks in Kampala, Uganda's capital.