British tourist among three people ‘shot by an ISIS-linked terror group’ during a safari in Uganda
- The group was attacked and their car burned down in Queen Elizabeth National Park
A British tourist has been shot dead by armed men believed to be Islamic terrorists while on holiday at a safari park in Uganda.
The unnamed Briton was one of three people targeted by militants as they traveled through the East African country’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Two other people – a South African holidaymaker and a Ugandan driver – were also killed in the attack, which police say was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terror group linked to ISIS.
The group has previously been accused of numerous massacres, including attacks that killed dozens of schoolchildren and kidnapping foreign tourists.
Disturbing photos show the group’s safari vehicle being set on fire as the bodies of the victims lie on the ground on the dirt road.
The tourists and their guide were targeted while traveling through a safari park in Uganda
Disturbing photos show their safari vehicle being set on fire as the victims’ bodies lie on the dirt road
Police believe the attack was committed by the Allied Democratic Forces, a terrorist group affiliated with ISIS
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 recorded a cowardly terrorist attack on two foreign tourists and a Ugandan in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The three were killed and their safari vehicle burned.”
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), which manages the park named after the late queen, the trio were traveling with Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris, a local travel agency.
A UWA spokesperson described the incident as ‘horrific’, adding: ‘Among the deceased whose names have been withheld are a Ugandan, a British national and a South African national.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, and we share in their grief at this difficult time.
“UWA has informed the Ugandan police and other security agencies who are working hard to establish the precise sequence of events that led to this horrific incident and identify those responsible.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said they were working with authorities in Uganda.
They said: ‘We are liaising with local authorities to obtain further details. We stand ready to support the Ugandan authorities.”
The ADF has previously been accused of massacres, kidnappings and looting, with the death toll estimated in the thousands.
In June, ADF militiamen killed 42 people, including 37 students, at a secondary 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 terrorist group killed 37 people in an attack on a secondary school in Uganda. In the photo: the burned remains of a dormitory in the school
Since April 2019, some ADF attacks have been claimed by ISIS, which the ADF describes as one of its offshoots.
In 2019, an American tourist and her safari guide were kidnapped by four armed men while driving through the park at dusk.
The gunmen dragged the pair from their safari vehicle, but left behind two other tourists, described by police as an “elderly couple.” The guide and the tourist were exchanged after a ransom was paid for their release.
Police said the kidnappers used the American’s mobile phone to demand a ransom of $500,000 or £410,000 for their release.