The incident took place on Tuesday evening.
Three people, including two tourists, were killed in a “cowardly terrorist attack” at a national park in Uganda on Tuesday, the BBC reported. The Ugandan Police said that the vehicle in which they were travelling – on a safari – was burnt in the Queen Elizabeth National Park by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group. While the two tourists were from the UK and South Africa, the third person was their guide who was a local resident, the BBC report further said, citing the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.
The ADF, linked to the ISIS terror group, which originated in Uganda but operates in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both the countries have been actively targeting the group.
“We have registered a cowardly terrorist attack on two foreign tourists and a Ugandan in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The three were killed, and their safari vehicle burnt,” Uganda Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
. @FredEnanga1 “We have registered a cowardly terrorist attack on two foreign tourists and a Ugandan in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The three were killed, and their safari vehicle burnt. Our joint forces responded immediately upon receiving the information and are aggressively… pic.twitter.com/fuoL1bEsvs
— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) October 17, 2023
The post further said that the police are “aggressively pursuing” the attackers and expressed “deepest condolences to the families of the victims”.
The post on X also carries a photo of the green-coloured safari vehicle on fire.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority said in a statement that all parks remain open. “We urge the public to remain patient and allow the investigative process to run its course,” the statement further said.
The UK Foreign Office, meanwhile, has updated its travel advice for the country, warning the “attackers remain at large”.
“The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park. If you are currently in the Park, you should follow the advice of local security authorities. If you are able to do so safely, you should consider leaving the area,” the advisory said.
