Ugandan police have appealed to the public to remain calm and continue with their normal activities as security forces investigate a bomb explosion that occurred in Munyonyo, a suburb of the capital, Kampala.
Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba, told reporters at the scene that various security agencies had been deployed to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.
Byakagaba confirmed that no civilians were injured or killed in the explosion, apart from the two suspected terrorists who were riding a motorcycle.
“It is too early to provide concrete details. We urge the public to stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings. The situation is under control, and people should go ahead with Martyrs’ Day celebrations and other activities. We assure them of their safety,” he said.
Earlier, military spokesperson Chris Magezi told Xinhua via telephone that the army had killed two suspected suicide bombers, one of whom was a woman. Magezi explained that the explosive detonated as the suspects were being intercepted.
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Police and military personnel were heavily deployed at the scene, which was cordoned off, with roads leading to the area also blocked.
An eyewitness told Xinhua that the suspects a man and a woman arrived on a motorcycle.
“When they got to the church, where people had gathered for prayers, the woman was unable to enter due to the heavy security presence. Shortly after leaving the area, an explosion occurred, killing both of them,” the witness recounted.
The incident took place during the commemoration of Martyrs’ Day, a national public holiday in Uganda which attracts thousands of pilgrims from within the country and abroad.
The last similar attack in Kampala occurred in November 2021, when terrorists detonated bombs near a police station and government offices. The Ugandan military attributed those attacks to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group affiliated with the Islamic State in Central Africa.
Originally a Ugandan insurgent group, the ADF is now based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
