Business

Blast on board bus in Uganda was suicide bomb attack by ISIL-affiliated group, police say — RT World News

A 23-year-old man with ties to Islamists in Uganda blew himself up on a packed passenger bus which was travelling from the capital Kampala to one of the country’s southern provinces on Monday evening, local police said.

Amazingly, however, the 52 passengers all survived, even though many were hurt.

According to police, the bomb explosion was a suicide attack. “on the wanted list”.

In a string of tweets, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said the man suspected of carrying out the attack belonged to a terrorist network known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Back in March, the US Department of State warned that the ADF insurgents have ties to Islamic State and are part of the Islamists’ drive to expand their presence in Africa.

Commenting on Monday’s explosion, Museveni tweeted that it is still not clear whether the suspect actually intended to set off the bomb on the bus or if it exploded accidentally. Museveni also stated that a large part of the bus bomber’s group had been either arrested or killed.

Monday’s blast comes hard on the heels of a deadly attack on Saturday, when a bomb killed a 20-year-old woman and injured three other people at a roadside café in Kampala’s suburbs. On Monday, the so-called Islamic State’s Central Africa Province claimed responsibility for that attack. The police believe that there was a connection between both bombings.

According to local Catholic Church, ADF rebels also operate in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 2013, they have killed approximately 6,000 civilians.



Massnews.com also available
Islamic State reports on Mozambique’s attack killing 55 people, and thousands fleeing a besieged town.


In recent years, international terrorist groups – mainly ISIL and Al-Qaeda – have shifted their focus from the Middle East, where they have lost much of their territory, to the African continent. In countries such as Mali, Nigeria and Niger, affiliate groups have established themselves in these areas. Islamists in the Sahel area currently hold large territories and engage regularly with government forces.

Are you sure your friends would find this interesting? This story is your chance to share it!



[ad_2]

Tags

Related Articles

Back to top button