Zombo, Uganda | URN | Six people and a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier have been killed in an attack on an army detach in Zeu sub-county, Zombo district.
The army detach located in Zeu forest was attacked by unknown gunmen on Friday 16, July 2021 morning at around 6:00 am.
According to the UPDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Flavia Byekwaso, 20 men disguising as forest workers entered Zombo district through Zeu forest and attacked the detach.
Byekwaso says that the army repulsed the attack, killing six of the attackers. She adds that three UPDF soldiers sustained injuries and were airlifted to Bombo military hospital.
She also says that one SMG gun, 11 rounds of ammunition, 12 bows and arrows and three machetes were recovered.
Byekwaso says that residents in the area identified two of the dead attackers as Ugandans, and the four, Congolese nationals hailing from Ayurpa and Miabi trading centres in Muhangi territory.
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On Friday 16th, the Commander Land Forces, Lt. Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba tweeted that: “Yes, our unit in Zeu, Zombo district was attacked by Congolese rebels called CODECO (Cooperation for the Development of Congo). Our boys performed brilliantly and repulsed the attackers.”
Francis Pimundu, the LC III chairperson of Zeu sub-county suspects the attackers could be the same group that raided a UPDF detach in Oduk village in Zombo district in March 2020.
Last year, a group of men armed with machetes, bows and arrows raided a Uganda People’s Defense Forces [UPDF] detach in Oduk village. The attack resulted in the killing of five soldiers while nine huts were razed down and three AK47 assault riffle’s looted from the army detach by the attackers.
