Uganda army says it killed rebels that murdered tourists

Uganda’s military said on Wednesday it had killed a number of fighters from an Islamic State-linked group who shot dead a honeymooning couple and their guide in a national park last month.

Gunmen from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group ambushed David and Celia Barlow and their Ugandan guide Eric Ayai in Queen Elizabeth National Park near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo on Oct. 17.

Celia Barlow was South African and her new husband was British.

“ADF terrorists whom we have been tracking down since the attack on tourists were finally got and a number of them were killed last night on Lake Edward,” Ugandan military deputy spokesman Deo Akiiki said.

“The operation is still on to finish all the splinter groups of ADF,” he added, without going into details on the numbers killed.

The ADF began as a movement opposing the Ugandan government in the early 1990s. After being routed by the army, it fled into Congo and got involved in the smuggling of timber, gold and agricultural products.

It pledged allegiance to Islamic State four years ago.

A day after the ambush, Islamic State claimed responsibility on its Telegram channel.