Latest news with #MartyrsDay
Qatar Tribune
7 days 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)
Al Jazeera
03-06-2025
- 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.
Free Malaysia Today
03-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Suspected bomb kills 2 near shrine in Uganda's capital
Islamic State said it carried out the last bombings in Kampala, which killed seven people in 2021. (AFP pic) KAMPALA : A suspected bomb blast killed two people near a Roman Catholic shrine in the Ugandan capital Kampala this morning, local media reported, while the army said two armed people had been 'neutralised' as people gathered for a public holiday. The Daily Monitor and New Vision newspapers reported that the explosion 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. NBS, an independent broadcaster, showed video of what appeared to be a motorbike and body on a road surrounded by debris. A Ugandan army spokesman wrote on X that a 'counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb'. NTV Uganda said that public access to the area around the shrine had been restricted after the explosion. 'The security services are on heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption,' the army spokesman said. Police spokesman 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.' Islamic State (IS), which is allied with anti-Uganda rebel group the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), said it carried out the last bombings in Kampala, which killed seven people in 2021. 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.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Suicide bomber killed in Uganda on Christian holy day, army says
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 suicide bomber, in the upmarket suburb of Munyonyo, army spokesperson Chris Magezi said in a post on X. The incident took place near the Roman Catholic Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where a small group had gathered to pray, local media reported. Reports also cited an explosion, with an eyewitness telling Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper that "the explosive detonated midway towards the church". There were no other casualties, the Reuters news agency reports. 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. 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), which has been linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The ADF has not yet commented. Uganda has historically faced threats from the group. Last year, the army warned citizens that the ADF was planning to attack places of worship, public events, schools and urban areas. A year earlier, in 2023, the group was accused of carrying out a fatal attack on a Ugandan school which led to the killing of nearly 40 students. The Martyrs Day event, one of the largest Christian pilgrimages in Africa, draws millions of believers each year to honour 45 people, made up of 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans, who were killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda for refusing to renounce their faith. The monarch demanded they revert back to their traditional religion, but they refused and were accused of disobeying him and later burned to death for it. Uganda school attack: I covered myself in blood to hide How Islamic State has expanded into Central Africa Inside view of the IS-linked ADF rebels Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Suicide bomber killed in Uganda on Christian holy day, army says
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 t he faithful who died in the 19th Century. A counter-terrorism unit "intercepted and neutralized" the two, one of whom was a suicide bomber, in the upmarket suburb of Munyonyo, army spokesperson Chris Magezi said in a post on X. The incident took place near the Roman Catholic Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where a small group had gathered to pray, local media reported. Reports also cited an explosion, with an eyewitness telling Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper that "the explosive detonated midway towards the church". There were no other casualties, the Reuters news agency reports. 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. 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), which has been linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The ADF has not yet commented. Uganda has historically faced threats from the group. Last year, the army warned citizens that the ADF was planning to attack places of worship, public events, schools and urban areas. A year earlier, in 2023, the group was accused of carrying out a fatal attack on a Ugandan school which led to the killing of nearly 40 students. The Martyrs Day event, one of the largest Christian pilgrimages in Africa, draws millions of believers each year to honour 45 people, made up of 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans, who were killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II of Buganda for refusing to renounce their faith. The monarch demanded they revert back to their traditional religion, but they refused and were accused of disobeying him and later burned to death for it. Uganda school attack: I covered myself in blood to hide How Islamic State has expanded into Central Africa Inside view of the IS-linked ADF rebels Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
