Summary:
- Attackers stayed in a hotel in town for 3 days planning the mission.
- They informed the security on the fateful day
On Sunday evening, Gulu town was thrown aback when heavy gunfire erupted and shook the place for about an hour.
Armed men using four vehicles attacked Gulu Central Police Station, which had to get reinforcements from the nearby UPDF Barracks to overcome the deadly shooters.
An estimated 20 assailants wielding machineguns kicked in through the main and maintained fire for about an hour.
It was not until an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) from the UPDF’s 4th Division headquarters arrived with heavier fire power that the attackers retreated.
The joint security forces suffered the biggest damage, losing two of them from either side. The UPDF officer died instantly while the police succumbed to gunshot wounds a day later.
Inside the attack
ChimpReports has learnt that the attackers arrived in the town three days before and did all their strategic planning without detection.
The men led by a one Ocaya who is already in police custody booked in Highway Hotel in Layibi Division on Thursday night according to security sources investigating the matter.
On Saturday, security got wind of the attack but the target was not clear even up to Sunday evening when they attacked.
On Sunday after 3 days of successful strategizing, the group intentionally alerted the security at exactly midday that they were going to hit Amuru district center which is about 65 kilometers from Gulu town.
“The first information we got at midday was that the group was ready for Amuru. We had to start planning also,” a source we cannot name said.
Security already had phone numbers of the attackers that were being electronically monitored.
Two hours later (2 PM) the signals of all their phone numbers disappeared, leaving the security to rely only on conjecture.
“A few hours later the audacious assailants contacted the security in charge in Opit about 15 km from Gulu town and told him to be ready for an attack. The first attack was made in Opit where the group took arms from a Local Defence Unit detach.
The phone call to Opit made the security to change concentration from Amuru to Gulu CPS. The main suspect of the Opit attack Oola Oloya was said to be detained at Gulu CPS and the motive of the fatal second invasion was to free him.
In Amuru, armed soldiers were already on the streets and the population was left wondering what was happening.
The attackers left their hotel rooms on Sunday late afternoon and at 8:30pm they stormed the CPS.
They entered with four vehicles; a white Land Cruiser Prado registration number UAY 680V, a dark blue pickup UAF 350Q that was used to carry the weapons and a salon car.
After reinforcement of mamba to the CPS, the pickup that was trying to flee knocked either an anthill or a tree and its engine died. Another vehicle belonging to the attackers reportedly came from the side of Awere for evacuation. They left the Prado and their weapons after the intensive gunfire.
Most of them remained in town after the assault and the arrests are being made mainly in the town area.