Uganda captures IS-allied rebel group’s bomb expert

Uganda captures IS-allied rebel group’s bomb expert

The insurgent was apprehended in the jungles of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The rebel ADF began as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in Congo since the late 1990s. (AFP pic)
KAMPALA:
Uganda’s military has captured a commander of an Islamic State-allied rebel group who is an expert in making improvised explosive devices, or bombs, that the group has used to carry out deadly attacks in the past, the army said today.

The insurgent, Anywari Al Iraq, a Ugandan, was captured in the jungles of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces is based, the military, Uganda People’s Defence Forces, said in a statement.

During the operation, nine people including children were also rescued from an area in Ituri province in Congo’s east, the military said.

“An assortment of improvised explosive device (IED) making materials were recovered,” it said.

The rebel ADF began as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in Congo since the late 1990s.

It pledged allegiance to Islamic State in mid-2019 and is accused of killing hundreds of villagers in frequent raids over recent years.

In one of its most deadly attacks, the group was blamed for a November 2021 triple suicide bombing in the capital Kampala, which killed seven people, including the bombers.

In 2021, the Ugandan army launched a joint operation with the military in Congo’s east to try to defeat the insurgency.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.