The ADF rebels responsible for the attack on the Mpondwe- Lhubiriha secondary school, stayed within the area for two nights while planning the attack.

This is according to new intelligence reports obtained by the army and revealed by Maj Gen Dick Olum, the UPDF commander of mountain division and operation Shujaa in DR Congo.

Addressing locals atop his car, Maj Gen Olum said that the rebels had stayed with the area and planned to burn army vehicles but feared and instead changed plans to attack the school.

He says that they took time to reconnoitre the school, identifying their targets and getting prior knowledge of the geography of the school.

"They knew where the girls sleep and where the boys sleep, they burn the boys and hacked the girls," he said.

Maj Gen Olum wondered why the locals were not vigilant enough to see that some new members have come to the community, he called upon residents to open their eyes for any new members in the community and report such.

As of now, the death toll of the attack stands at 45 children, while the rebels are said to have abducted an unknown number of students.

During the attack, a dormitory is said to have been burnt. The school food store was also broken into and looted.

The attack has been confirmed by Kasese Resident District Commissioner Joe Walusimbi.

Uganda Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says police are on the ground to ascertain the number of dead and missing as well as how the attack occurred.

Enanga further added that Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) are in pursuit of the group thought to be headed towards Virunga National Park.

The attack on the school comes twenty-five years to the day after the same rebel outfit launched a devastating attack on Uganda Technical College, Kichwamba on June 8, 1998. Reports indicate 80 students lost their lives in that ADF attack while another 100 were abducted.