According to Uganda, actions were being taken on Wednesday to guarantee that the attackers of a Tuesday attack that left three people dead in a national park are “hunted down and killed.“
A joint army, police, and wildlife authority team has “deployed all resources, both technical and physical, in pursuit of these terrorists and will ensure they account for their heinous acts,” according to Ugandan military spokesman Felix Kulayigye on Wednesday.
In the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the south-west of Uganda, an attack allegedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) claimed the lives of a South African and British honeymooning couple as well as their Ugandan safari guide.
The rebel organisation ADF, which has its headquarters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been associated with Islamic State (IS) since 2019.
IS released a statement on Wednesday claiming ownership of the murders.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park, which shares a border with the DRC, has received a travel advisory from the UK on Wednesday.
France has also sent its citizens advice to exercise caution.
Kulagiye sought to assure tourists that the attack was “an isolated incident” and Uganda remains “secure and safe”.
The national park, which spans 700 square miles (1,813 square kilometers), is one of Uganda’s most visited and is abundant in species. One of only two locations where the rare tree-climbing lions can be found is in this region.
