Details of how Uganda was rocked by deadly bombings

Police have said that the twin explosions that hit Kampala at a police checkpoint and Parliamentary Avenue on Tuesday were carried out by three suicide bombers who died instantly.

Police also said three civilians had been confirmed dead and 33 others injured, although the number of fatalities could be higher than reported so far.

Five of the injured are in critical condition, according to police spokesperson, Commissioner of Police Fred Enanga.

Mr Enanga told journalists in Kampala that the police attack was carried out by one suicide bomber who was captured on CCTV camera carrying a backpack before he detonated it. Two civilians died on the spot and 17 others were injured and evacuated from the scene to the hospital.

"The first attack occurred near the checkpoint to the Central Police Station, in Kampala at around 10.03am. The fresh footages on CCTV clearly indicate how a male adult, putting on a black jacket, and carrying a backpack detonated himself.

He died instantly and the spillover effect caused additional injuries to police officers and other civilians who were within a radius of 30 metres.

Two other people have been confirmed dead, while 17 others sustained injuries. Those injured were within the section covering the point of impact and the front desk area at the Central Police Station,” Mr Enanga said.

The Parliament road attack was conducted by two suicide bombers riding on two boda boda motorcycles. One civilian was killed in the explosion that happened at Raj chambers and Jubilee Insurance offices at Parliamentary Avenue.

“Two suicide bombers were clearly captured, on motorcycles, disguising as boda boda riders. They detonated the bombs they were carrying on themselves, that killed them instantly,” he added.

Police said the fourth suicide bomber was pursued and arrested in Bwaise, a Kampala suburb after he was shot and disabled by counter terrorism operatives.
“Although three suicide bombers died in the double bomb attacks, our CT response teams managed to pursue a fourth suicide bomb attacker and intercepted him at Bwaise.

They shot and injured him, and immediately after, recovered an unexploded improvised explosive device at Nansana-Katooke, at his home, which the bomb squad, were going to neutralize.

We are now pursuing other members of the terror groups,” CP Enanga added.
The explosions which happened three minutes apart were carried out by suspected domestic terrorists linked to Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), according to police.

“It clearly shows that the ADF linked radicalized groups, still have a desire to carry out lethal attacks, on soft targets, with suicide attackers and improvised explosive devices.

These kinds of threats remain significant because IEDs and suicide bomb jackets can easily be built from common household items found in local markets, retail shops and supermarkets,” Mr Enanga added.

The attacks follow two blasts last month -- a bus explosion in Mpigi District that wounded many people and a bombing at a roadside eatery in Komamboga in the capital Kampala that killed one woman.