Latest news with #ChrisMagezi
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- General
- Qatar Tribune
Suicide bomber killed in Uganda's capital: Army
Two people who the Ugandan army describe as 'armed terrorists' have been killed in the capital, Kampala, as the country marks Martyrs Day - a Christian celebration to commemorate the faithful who died in the 19th Century. A counter-terrorism unit 'intercepted and neutralized' the two, one of whom was a female suicide bomber, in the upmarket suburb of Munyonyo, army spokesperson Chris Magezi said. The incident took place near the Roman Catholic Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where a group had gathered to pray, local media reported. Reports also cited an explosion, with an eyewitness telling Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper that the blast occurred as the two approached the church on a motorcycle. The army spokesperson did not confirm the blast, but added that the authorities were on 'heightened alert'. One of those killed was a female 'suicide bomber laden with powerful explosives', Col Magezi said in a post on X. Footage from Uganda's NBS Television showed security and forensics personnel at the scene of the incident, after having sealed off the area. Col Magezi told Reuters that it was believed the two people were linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group. (Agencies)
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two suspected Ugandan rebels killed in Kampala explosion
Two suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, including a female suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion near a prominent Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital, Kampala, as crowds gathered to mark Martyrs' Day. The blast on Tuesday took place in the upscale suburb of Munyonyo, outside the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where Ugandans were assembling to commemorate 19th-century Christians executed for their faith. No civilian injuries were reported. 'A counterterrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo,' said army spokesman Chris Magezi on X. He confirmed one of the assailants was a female suicide bomber 'laden with powerful explosives'. Footage broadcast by NBS Television, an independent outlet, showed a destroyed motorbike and debris scattered across the road. Police Chief Abas Byakagaba told NBS the explosion occurred while 'two people were on a motorcycle,' adding: 'The good thing, though, is that there were no people nearby who were injured.' There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. While Ugandan authorities are still piecing together the events, Magezi suggested the suspects were linked to the ADF, a rebel group that originated in Uganda in the 1990s but later relocated to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ADF has pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) and was behind a spate of deadly bombings in Uganda in 2021. The group has been accused by the United Nations of widespread atrocities, including the killing of thousands of civilians in the region. Martyrs' Day is one of Uganda's most significant religious holidays, drawing thousands of pilgrims annually. Security forces have increased patrols across the capital in the aftermath of the incident.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Two suspected Ugandan rebels killed in Kampala explosion
Two suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, including a female suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion near a prominent Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital, Kampala, as crowds gathered to mark Martyrs' Day. The blast on Tuesday took place in the upscale suburb of Munyonyo, outside the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where Ugandans were assembling to commemorate 19th-century Christians executed for their faith. No civilian injuries were reported. 'A counterterrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo,' said army spokesman Chris Magezi on X. He confirmed one of the assailants was a female suicide bomber 'laden with powerful explosives'. Footage broadcast by NBS Television, an independent outlet, showed a destroyed motorbike and debris scattered across the road. Police Chief Abas Byakagaba told NBS the explosion occurred while 'two people were on a motorcycle,' adding: 'The good thing, though, is that there were no people nearby who were injured.' There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. While Ugandan authorities are still piecing together the events, Magezi suggested the suspects were linked to the ADF, a rebel group that originated in Uganda in the 1990s but later relocated to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ADF has pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) and was behind a spate of deadly bombings in Uganda in 2021. The group has been accused by the United Nations of widespread atrocities, including the killing of thousands of civilians in the region. Martyrs' Day is one of Uganda's most significant religious holidays, drawing thousands of pilgrims annually. Security forces have increased patrols across the capital in the aftermath of the incident.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two suspected Uganda rebels killed in Kampala blast, officials say
STORY: An explosion in the Ugandan capital has killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber. The blast happened near a Roman Catholic shrine in the south of Kampala and authorities say no other people were hurt. According to local media, it took place as people were gathering for Martyrs' Day celebrations. The day commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. Ugandan Police Commissioner Anatoli Muleterwa said heightened intelligence and surveillance had prevented the attack. "Our deployment was too high, the surveillance was too high. They thought they were going to get any advantage of fulfilling their mission, only to be put out of action by our security." He added that teams were now working to determine the type of explosives used and possible motives Ugandan army spokesperson Chris Magezi [ma-gay-zee] told Reuters that the attackers were thought to be linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group affiliated with Islamic State. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.
Observer
a day ago
- General
- Observer
Explosion reported in Uganda
KAMPALA: An explosion killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber near a Roman Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday morning, but no other people were reported hurt, authorities said. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to IS which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi said. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said. "Two people were on a motorcycle and an explosion occurred," Ugandan police chief Abas Byakagaba told NBS in a video posted on X. Byakagaba did not say what happened to the two people on the motorbike but added: "The good thing though is that there were no people nearby who were injured." — Reuters
