ISIS-affiliated group causes high casualties in school attack.

ISIS-Linked Group Leaves Massive Body Count After Attack on School

Ugandan authorities have recovered the bodies of 41 people, including 38 students, who were brutally killed in a horrifying attack on a secondary school near the border with Congo. The victims were burned, shot, or hacked to death by suspected rebels, leaving the nation in shock and mourning.

The attack, which occurred on Friday night, was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist group with ties to the Islamic State. The ADF has been launching attacks from bases in volatile eastern Congo for years, causing devastation and terror in the region.

The victims of this heinous act include the students, a guard, and two members of the local community who were killed outside the school. Some of the students suffered fatal burns when the rebels set fire to a dormitory, while others were shot or hacked with machetes.

The Ugandan military reported that at least six people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into Congo after the raid. Ugandan troops are currently pursuing the perpetrators in an effort to rescue the abducted students.

The attack took place at Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe, located in the Ugandan district of Kasese. The school, which is co-ed and privately owned, is situated just 1.2 miles from the Congo border.

Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and former lawmaker from the region, condemned the attack on Twitter, calling it a “cowardly attack” and emphasizing that schools should always be a safe place for every student.

The ADF, which has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has been accused of launching numerous attacks in recent years, targeting civilians in remote parts of eastern Congo. The group rarely claims responsibility for its attacks.

Established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims who felt marginalized by Museveni’s policies, the ADF initially staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages and the capital. However, a Ugandan military assault pushed the group into eastern Congo, where it has since established ties with the Islamic State.

This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups in the region. Ugandan authorities have vowed to track down ADF militants, even outside Ugandan territory, and have launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.

As the nation mourns the loss of innocent lives, it is crucial to stand united against such acts of violence and ensure the safety and security of all students.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

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