By Albert Ayiga,
Denis Ojwee And
Charles Odongtho
JOSEPH Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) yesterday ambushed an Arua-bound Nile Coach bus, UAD 737D, on Karuma-Pakwach road, killing an unspecified number of people, security sources said.

The sources said the rebels shot at the bus using a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG), making the driver, Ahmed DK, to lose control and crash the bus into the bush. The rebels are said to have looted property and set the vehicle ablaze.

The Nile Coach Kampala office manager, Mawa Alik, said the bus was travelling from Kampala to Arua with 59 people on board including the conductor and his assistant.

“The rebels shot at the bus with RPG, which later made it to overturn, injuring over 11 people. Some passengers escaped into the bush but we fear some could have been abducted,” a source said.

Meanwhile, another source in Arua Park in Kampala said a front tyre of the bus was shot using an AK-47 rifle but the driver sped on until the bus overturned into the bush.

“Some passengers were injured and the rebels set the bus ablaze after removing the passengers and luggage on board. They abducted some passengers to carry the loot,” Adibaku, a businessman from Arua, told the New Vision at Arua park.

Mawa said this was their second bus to leave Karuma for Arua that day. He said “the ambush took place in an area called First Pida, six miles from Karuma in the Murchison Falls National Park before Ayago bridge.”

He said this was their fourth bus to be attacked by the LRA this month. The most recent was on September 10. Two people were killed.

Other sources said the UPDF rescued about 20 people from the surrounding bushes and took the injured to Gulu for treatment.

According to Mawa’s list, some of those who travelled on the ill-fated bus were Aniku, Debo, Juma, Odama, Gloria, Anguma, Daniel, Pariyo, Parito, Anyama, Amaniyo, Okuonzi, Droma, Manase, Loice, Philliam, Andama and Habib.
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