Serengeti — SECURITY personnel have been deployed in various corners of Western Serengeti to pursue suspected bandits who raided a tourist camp here and shot dead two persons including a Dutch tourist, Erick Brekelmans.

Serengeti District Commissioner (DC) Captain James Yamungu confirmed to the 'Daily News on Saturday' that a special operations team from police headquarters in Dar es Salaam is already in Serengeti for the purpose.

"We have deployed police officers in all suspected areas. They are still pursuing the bandits," the DC said yesterday morning.

There was no immediate report of arrests in connection with the incident which occurred on Wednesday night, after an unknown number of armed bandits raided Ikoma Tented Camp.

The deceased have been identified as Eric Brewelmansa, a tourist from the Netherland and the Camp's Assistant Manager, Mr Renatus Bernard. Mara Regional Police Commander (RPC) Simin Silo was not immediately available for comment as his cell phone went unanswered for several times on Friday.

The incident prompted two cabinet ministers, Ambassador Hamisi Kagasheki(Tourism and Natural Resources) and Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi (Home Affairs), to make an emergency tour in Serengeti on Thursday to assess the situation.This is part of the government efforts to immediately take measures to beef up security in the area.

Tourists from different parts of the world especially from Europe and Scandinavian countries have been flocking into Ikoma tented camps to experience the real nature of Serengeti ecosystem. The camp is located a few metres from the Serengeti National Park, one of the world's top heritage sites and Tanzanian major tourist destination.

The camp provides a wide range of unique services that its guests are close to the nature of Serengeti ecosystem at all times.

They include night game driving something which enables visitors to come face to face with wild nocturnal wild animals such as bush babies and porcupines.

Serengeti district authorities will now start meeting with residents of the villages surrounding tourists camps and hotels to mobilise them to take part in improving security in the area. "We are going to have a time table for visiting villages surrounding Serengeti and talk to people on the importance of cooperating with the government to beef up security," he said.