The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have reportedly struck a village in Ntoroko District in western Uganda.

The attack happened last night in an area just over 3 kilometers from River Semliki at the border of Uganda with DR Congo.

Locals claim that there was gunfire exchange between UPDF soldiers and ADF rebels in the vicinity of the villages of Kayanja and Kyobe in the Bweramule Sub County.

Reports indicate that at least three locals have been injured in Bweramule Sub County, Ntoroko District.

The UPDF spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulaigye, confirmed the development, saying that about 20–30 ADF fighters crossed the River Semuliki into Kyanja in Ntoroko district.

“Our intelligence got wind of them and they were intercepted. A fight is on to decisively deal with the group. 11 of them have been put out of action,” he said.

Last December, the government sent hundreds of soldiers into eastern Congo to join the Congolese military in Operation Shujaa intended to fight the ADF rebels.

The ADF began as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in Congo since the late 1990s. It pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) in mid-2019 and is accused of killing hundreds of villagers in frequent raids over the past two years.