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TEHRAN, Apr 04 - Ugandan security forces scoured dense bush on Thursday in the hunt for a US tourist and her safari guide who were kidnapped by gunmen in a national park.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - "The operation to rescue the tourist is still ongoing," Uganda's tourism minister, Godfrey Kiwanda, told AFP on Thursday morning.
Four kidnappers stopped a group of tourists at gunpoint around dusk on Tuesday as they drove through the Queen Elizabeth National Park on safari to see wild animals.
Police identified the American as a 35-year-old woman, and said the kidnappers had later used her mobile telephone to demand a ransom of $500,000 (445,000 euros) for the release of the pair. The driver is a 48-year old safari guide with years of experience.
The gunmen dragged the pair from their safari vehicle, but left behind two other tourists, whom police described as an "elderly couple". They managed to raise the alarm from the lodge where they were staying.
Army spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire said security forces were doing all they could to track down the gunmen.
"Let the security forces do their work," he said Thursday.
The US Embassy in Kampala said it was aware of the kidnapping, and warned its citizens to "exercise caution when travelling to this area due to ongoing security activity."
Soldiers have fanned out along the porous border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with security forces insisting they believe the pair remain in the country.
Source: AFP
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