Another Gun stollen as Panga-Wielding Assailants Attack Soldier in Kikuube

Kikuube: Panga-Wielding Assailants Attack Soldier, Flee With Gun.

Security agencies in Bunyoro region are hunting for unknown assailants who attacked a soldier belonging to Uganda People’s Defence Forces UPDF’s 13th battalion, hacked him, and took his gun in Kikuube district.

Pt Wickliffe Musibira is one of the UPDF soldiers guarding Bugoma Forest Reserve under the Kaseeta detach in Nyairongo village, Kabwoya sub-county in Kikuube.

Sources from the scene of the attack who preferred anonymity said the victim was attacked on Wednesday evening at about 9:00 pm after he got separated from his colleagues while on duty.

The sources alleged that the victim was attacked by a group of assailants who ambushed him inside Bugoma Forest and hacked him before they took his gun and ammunition.

The sources also told New Vision that the victim was injured on the stomach and the hand by the assailants before he could defend himself.

It is also alleged that after they cut his hand, the victim dropped his gun and the thugs picked it up and disappeared into the forest

Conflicting reports

Masindi artillery division public relations officer, Lt Geoffrey Sande, confirmed the attack and the theft of the gun.

However, he said that Musibira was not injured as sources are claiming, adding that the soldier was arrested and is being investigated on how he lost the gun.

He added that soldiers had been dispatched to the area to hunt for the assailants.

“We suspect maybe these people who vandalise the forest to be behind this act. The soldier is okay, only that he lost his gun under unclear circumstances and the effort to look for this gun is underway. So, there is no cause for an alarm,” Sande said.

By press time, a team of security officers, led by Kikuube district Resident District Commissioner, Amlan Tumusiime, who is the head of security, were in Nyairongo holding a closed-door security meeting over the matter