Latest news with #Martyrs'Day
Yahoo
3 days 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.
The Star
3 days ago
- General
- The Star
Two suspected Uganda rebels killed in Kampala blast, officials say
Forensic experts secure the scene of a bomb blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, a Roman Catholic shrine as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century, in Munyonyo suburb of Kampala, Uganda June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa KAMPALA (Reuters) -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 Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported that the blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine in the south of the city had killed at least two people as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to Islamic State (IS) which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi told Reuters. 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. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion. "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." The ADF was founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s and initially waged war against the Ugandan government from bases in the country's west before fleeing into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are blamed by the United Nations for thousands of civilian deaths. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema and Hereward Holland;Editing by Alexander Winning, Bernadette Baum and Timothy Heritage)
Yahoo
3 days 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.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Two suspected Uganda rebels killed in Kampala blast
An explosion has killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber, near a Roman Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital Kampala. The Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported the blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine had killed at least two people as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to Islamic State which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi told Reuters. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's explosion. "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." The ADF was founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s and initially waged war against the Ugandan government from bases in the nation's west before fleeing into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are blamed by the United Nations for thousands of civilian deaths. An explosion has killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber, near a Roman Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital Kampala. The Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported the blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine had killed at least two people as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to Islamic State which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi told Reuters. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's explosion. "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." The ADF was founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s and initially waged war against the Ugandan government from bases in the nation's west before fleeing into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are blamed by the United Nations for thousands of civilian deaths. An explosion has killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber, near a Roman Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital Kampala. The Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported the blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine had killed at least two people as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to Islamic State which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi told Reuters. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's explosion. "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." The ADF was founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s and initially waged war against the Ugandan government from bases in the nation's west before fleeing into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are blamed by the United Nations for thousands of civilian deaths. An explosion has killed two suspected rebels including a female suicide bomber, near a Roman Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital Kampala. The Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported the blast near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine had killed at least two people as Ugandans assembled to celebrate Martyrs' Day, which commemorates Christians who were killed for their faith in the 19th century. The two assailants were thought to be linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group allied to Islamic State which claimed responsibility for multiple bombings in 2021, Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi told Reuters. Magezi wrote on X that a "counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb." One of the individuals was a female suicide bomber "laden with powerful explosives," Magezi said. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's explosion. "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." The ADF was founded by Ugandan Muslims in the 1990s and initially waged war against the Ugandan government from bases in the nation's west before fleeing into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are blamed by the United Nations for thousands of civilian deaths.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- General
- Express Tribune
Two suspected Uganda rebels killed in Kampala blast, officials say
Two suspected rebels, including a female suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion near a Roman Catholic shrine in Kampala on Tuesday morning, Ugandan authorities said. The blast occurred near the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine in the southern part of the city as Ugandans gathered to mark Martyrs' Day, which honours Christians executed for their faith in the 19th century. No other casualties were reported. Reported by Reuters, the Ugandan army spokesman Chris Magezi said that the attackers were believed to be linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo-based rebel group with ties to Islamic State (IS). The ADF has claimed responsibility for several bombings in Uganda in 2021. Magezi said a counter-terrorism unit intercepted and neutralised the two armed suspects in Munyonyo, an affluent suburb. One was a female suicide bomber carrying powerful explosives. Ugandan police chief Abas Byakagaba confirmed the explosion involved two individuals on a motorcycle but said no bystanders were injured. The ADF, founded in the 1990s by Ugandan Muslims, initially operated within Uganda before relocating to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where the United Nations has blamed the group for thousands of civilian deaths. Police had not immediately commented further, and no group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's blast.
