British tourist among three people ‘gunned down by an ISIS-linked terror group’ while on safari in Uganda
- The group were attacked and their car burned in Queen Elizabeth National Park
A British tourist has been shot dead in Uganda on a safari park holiday by gunmen thought to be Islamic terrorists.
The unnamed Briton was one of three people targeted by militants as they travelled through Queen Elizabeth National Park in the East African nation.
Two other people – a South African holidaymaker and a Ugandan driver – were also killed in the attack, which police believe was committed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terror group linked to ISIS.
The group has previously been blamed for numerous massacres, including attacks that have killed dozens of schoolchildren and kidnapping foreign tourists.
Disturbing photos from the scene show the group’s safari vehicle set on fire while the bodies of the victims lie on the floor on the dirt road.
The tourists and their guide were targeted as they travelled through a safari park in Uganda
Disturbing photos from the scene show their safari vehicle set on fire, while the bodies of the victims lie on the dirt road
Police believe the attack was committed by the Allied Democratic Forces, an ISIS-affiliated terror group
The attack took place in Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its natural beauty and wildlife
Police have denounced the ‘cowardly’ attack while park officials vowed to do everything they could to find those responsible.
Fred Enanga, a Ugandan police spokesman, said: ‘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.’
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), which runs the park named after the late Queen, the trio were travelling with the Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris, a local tour company.
A spokesman for the UWA described the incident as ‘horrific’, adding: ‘The deceased whose names are withheld, include a Ugandan, a UK citizen and a South African citizen.
‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, and we share in their grief during this difficult time.
‘UWA has informed the Uganda Police Force and other security agencies who are working diligently to establish the precise sequence of events leading up to this horrific incident and to identify those responsible.’
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said they are working with authorities in Uganda.
They said: ‘We are liaising with local authorities to ascertain more details. We stand ready to support the Ugandan authorities,.’
The ADF has previously been blamed for massacres, kidnappings and lootings, with a death toll estimated in the thousands.
In June, ADF militia members killed 42 people including 37 students in a high school in western Uganda.
The incident is the latest in a long line of attacks by the ADF, which has previously kidnapped tourists and massacred schoolchildren
Earlier this year the terror group killed 37 people in an attack on a secondary school in Uganda. Pictured: The burned remains of a dormitory in the school
Since April 2019, some ADF attacks have been claimed by ISIS, which describes the ADF as one of its offshoots.
In 2019 a US tourist and her safari guide were kidnapped by four gunmen as they drove through the park at dusk.
The gunmen dragged the pair from their safari vehicle, but left behind two other tourists, whom police described as an ‘elderly couple’. The guide and tourist were exchanged after a ransom was paid for their release.
Police said the kidnappers used the American’s mobile telephone to demand a ransom of $500,000 or £410,000 for their release.
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