A Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) soldier has been shot dead in a fierce battle between suspected Bokora rustlers and the army in Nabilatuk district. 

The Wednesday afternoon incident occurred near an army unit attached to the Lokapel detachment under the 49th battalion, some 56 kilometres, South of Moroto town along the Nakapiripirit –Mbale Road. 

The deceased was identified as Pte. Arthur Bainomugisha. He was killed by suspected raiders as a group of livestock owners and the UPDF were tracking animals before entering the gang ambush. 

The dead UPDF soldier lost his AK47 firearm including 120 live rounds of live ammunition as a rescue force rushed to the scene of the confrontation.

Nabilatuk Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Jacinta Ayo confirmed the development saying the soldier had gone ahead to track the animals before falling into the hands of the criminals. 

She told the New Vision on Thursday that the yet-to-be-identified rustlers had stolen 15 heads of cattle from the Pokot kraals. 

"The past days, rustlers have gone on a rampage,” Ayo said, adding that the security forces are managing the situation. 

She adds that security forces have intensified the manhunt for the raiders in the Karamoja sub-region. 

Ayo appealed to the animal owners that the hunt for the animals is still ongoing, asking them to be calm as forces comb bushes. 

“I would like to appeal to the community to desist from this archaic culture,” she noted, adding that a lot of wealth has been lost and life. 

Ayo encouraged the youth to embrace the recently introduced parish development model saying the move will transform them from subsistence to the money-making economy. 

Meanwhile, a joint force of the army and the police clashed with the suspected Alpine raiders from Mt. Moroto on Thursday morning towards the Uganda-Kenya border. 

Sounds of big guns could be heard 25 kilometres away South East of Moroto town in the Mt. Moroto ranges as clashes raged on in the difficult terrain. 

Unspecified numbers of Tepeth raiders on Wednesday night, a few minutes to Midnight reportedly had stolen over 300 heads of cattle. 

The herd belongs to Andrew Ayopo, the parish councillor for Loputuk sub-county in Moroto district. 

The incident happened at Natapar’Kwangan village, Acerer parish, Loputuk sub-county in Moroto. 

The sub-county chairperson Loputuk, Peter Loyolo, confirmed the raid of the animals in the Matheniko-Pokot kraals in Natapar’Kwangan village. 

He said the animals were stolen on Wednesday night adding that they have tried to follow up with little success. 

Loyolo further said they could only see the raiders at a distance driving the animals by 10 am in the morning, but because of the terrain, they had nothing to do. 

Loyolo appealed to the leaders to unite and phase out the escalating insecurity in the Karamoja sub-region, saying it's time the region and people rested.