Three terrorist suicides have exploded in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Tuesday, killing three more people and injuring dozens, and the Islamic State jihadist group has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks, police said.
Police initially blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed extremist group that the United States considers associated with the Islamic State. The ADF is also active in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been blamed for a number of recent attacks in Uganda.
Two suicide bombers on their motorcycles, disguised as local taxi drivers, detonated an explosive at the entrance to the parliament building, killing a passer-by. A third terrorist attacked a checkpoint at a central police station, killing two people.
The two bombings in central Kampala took place within minutes, police spokesman Fred Enang said.
Police disrupted the third attack by finding an improvised explosive device in the home of a potential suicide bomber while shooting himself. Other members of this group are being sought.
Ugandan president Joveri Museveni said a man shot dead by police had “later died” and promised the attackers would “die.”
“The public must remain vigilant when checking people at the entrances to bus stations, hotels, churches, mosques, markets,” Museveni said.
An explosion at a police station smashed windows, while nearby cars caught fire in an explosion near parliament.
The Ugandan Red Cross said 21 police officers were among the 33 injured.
The Islamic State began taking responsibility for some ADF attacks on social media in April 2019, calling the group its regional division, the Islamic State of Central Africa (ISCAP).
In March of this year, the United States officially recognized the ADF as linked to the “Islamic State.”
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