The People’s Defense Force (UPDF) has begun to track down rebels who committed a terrorist attack on a school and abducted six students, the army has said in a statement.
The students were reportedly kidnapped to carry food, which the assailants snatched from the school's food store.
"UPDF embarked on pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students whom they used to carry the looted food towards Virunga National Park [the DRC territory]," the statement said.
The ministry added that the military managed to evacuate eight survivors to hospital, while three were rescued alive.
The terrorist attack claimed the lives of 41 people, including 17 pupils who died in the bomb blast, local media said.
The report added that two local residents died as a result of the terrorist act.
First Lady of Uganda Janet Museveni said the government supports the families of the bereaved and expressed confidence that the army "will ensure those responsible face justice."
"The government through the security agencies is trying to follow up on what actually happened. And it is on the top of the situation, we believe that justice will prevail," she said.
For his part, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the "appalling act" and called for those behind it to be brought to justice.
Founded in 1995, the ADF operates in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where it is listed as a terrorist organization.
The United Nations accuses the ADF of killing hundreds of civilians since 2014. The ADF has close ties to the Islamic State terrorist group*.
* terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia and many other countries