Suspected members of a cult attacked a village in western Uganda, leaving at least eight dead, including a child as young as three and some of the assailants’ family members, officials reported Wednesday.
The assault took place late Tuesday in Mizizi A, a small community in Uganda’s Kagadi district, around 250 km (150 miles) from the capital, Kampala. Authorities say that eight additional villagers sustained injuries.
“Preliminary information points to members of a newly formed cult, yet unnamed, who turned on their family members and attacked them,” the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) stated.
Security forces from the police and military are actively pursuing those responsible, with investigations underway to uncover more details about the group involved.
Police reported that two suspects were killed by security personnel responding to the violence, while four of the victims were children under 13, including the three-year-old.
Kagadi lies close to the Kingfisher oilfield, one of Uganda’s key crude oil projects operated by China’s CNOOC. Officials indicated there was no link between the attack and the oilfield operations.
