A combined force of police and the army killed 251 suspected cattle rustlers last year in the Karamoja sub-region, in Uganda.
Security sources said most deaths were attributed to forceful disarmament operations.
Most suspected Karimojong warriors were killed following the relaunch of disarmament operations in the northeastern sub-region on July 17, 2021, Brig Gen Joseph Balikudembe, the 3rd division commander revealed.
In the same period, at least 1,626 suspected rustlers were arrested, 291 of whom have so far been prosecuted and a total of 14,898 livestock were recovered. Security forces also recovered at least 160 guns.
According to him, an estimate of about 500 illegal guns are still being kept by the suspected rustlers.
Brig Balikudembe blamed the district leaders of Karamoja for covering up for the suspected assailants.