Seven suspected rebels shot dead in a futile raid near Fort Portal

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FORT PORTAL - At least seven people were shot dead by the army and police in an attack by armed gunmen on Ibonde village in Fort Portal city in Saturday’s wee hours.

The group were overpowered in a joint operation by soldiers of the Uganda People's Defence Forces from Muhoti Barracks, the headquarters for the UPDF Mountain Division.

According to local witnesses, the assailants, numbering about 50, broke into the village and opened fire on the army and police who had earlier been notified about the presence of big numbers of unknown people in the area. The attack, which lasted only a few minutes, left six of the suspected attackers dead, while one was killed by residents.

“It was around 6 am on my way to work when I saw men wearing black jackets and boots moving around and taking the side of Canon Apollo Primary Teachers College. A few minutes later, we were told that UPDF had killed them,” said Edward Aguma, a resident of Canon Apollo cell.

“One of my relatives' families was going to get milk at around 6am when she met a lot of people carrying pangas and knives coming from Kazingo.

They were not allowing anyone to pass on the road. They then passed by the Bukuku police post and proceeded to Canon Apollo PTC,” one resident of Ibonde cell revealed in an interview.

Sabiti Joram Kinuge, the councillor representing North division in Fort Portal council, who witnessed the security operation that neutralised the attackers, said.

“I was alerted by a boda boda rider who had been intercepted by this group. After I got his call, I also called the army in Muhoti, who swiftly came in,” he said. We took cover while at Canon Apollo stage, where they found us before the army engaged them, killing four on the spot,” he added.

Kinuge adds that after the army opened fire, most of the attackers ran into the nearby bushes.

The exact identities and ages of the deceased have not yet been released by authorities, while an unknown number of suspects have been taken in for questioning. While no group has claimed responsibility, the style of the attack, a surprise night raid on a village community, has raised concerns about rising insecurity in the area.