Kampla – Uganda
The capital city of Kampala was engulfed in rafting smoke at the dawn of November 16, 2021 when twin suicide bombers blasted bombs at the central police station and IPS building adjacent to the parliament of the country.
According to the country’s police spokesperson Fred Enanga, 6 people were confirmed dead and 33 were injured and admitted to the national referral hospital Mulago.
Police Statement
UGANDA POLICE FORCE STATEMENT ON THE KAMPALA BLASTS OF NOV 16/2021
6 DEAD INCLUDING 3 SUICIDE ATTACKERS, 33 OTHERS INJURED, 5 CRITICALLY FROM TWO DEADLY SUICIDE ATTACKS
We wish to inform the public that we have registered two separate deadly suicide attacks, within Kampala City, on the 16.11.2021 at 10.03am and 10.06am respectively.
The first attack occurred near the check point to the Central Police Station, in Kampala at around 10.03am.
The fresh footage on CCTV clearly indicate how a male adult, putting on a black jacket, and carrying a back pack, 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 very critical injuries.
Those injured were within the section covering the point of impact and the front desk area at the Central Police Station.
Another bomb blast occurred within three minutes at Raja Chambers and Jubilee Insurance Building along the Parliament Avenue. Two suicide bombers were clearly captured, on motorcycles, disguising as bodaboda riders.
They detonated the bombs they were carrying on themselves, that killed them instantly.
Both scenes have been cordoned off by our Joint Counter-terror task teams. So far 23 injured victims, 5 critically, have been rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, for further treatment. Our thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
These attacks come 22 days after the last suicide bomb attack on a Swift Safaris Bus. 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 kind 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. Many businesses unconsciously sell these items, that are used to sell bombs, which calls for extra vigilance. We encourage businesses and the public to voluntarily report suspicious activities, such as buying large amounts of chemicals and materials that can be used to build bombs.
We do strongly condemn the perpetrators of those senseless and heinous attacks within the city. Although, three suicide bombers, died in the double bomb attacks, our CT response teams managed to pursue a fourth suicide bomb attacker, and covered 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.
Although, our Joint Counter Terror teams, and mitigated bomb threats and attacks for the last 22 days, toady’s breakthrough attacks show that we still need to do more, to pre-empt, penetrate and prevent deadly attacks by domestic extremists in the days to come.
As you are all aware, we have managed to counter several bomb threats, and also neutralized several suspicious packages and device-related incidents across the nation.
For now, the bomb threats are still active, and cannot be solved in one go, which calls for the popular intelligence and vigilance of the community.
Once again, we would like to reassure all Ugandans and visitors to the country, that we continue to pursue all terrorists, their agents, operatives and collaborators, to help prevent the re-emergence of such acts of domestic terror.
CP Enanga Fred
Police Spokesperson
16th November 2021
The Injured
Victims at Mulago Hospital.
1. No. 66832 PC Kairugara Joseph
2. Katongole Fred r/o katale
3. No.64015 PC Ayebale Allan
4. No. 50952 PC Kissa Andrew
5. No. 65945 PC Eyotre Peter
6. No. PC Akot Catherine
7. No. 66827 PC Wabwire Bernard
8. Akibua Silesian
9. No.PC Tongwire Eunice
10. No. PC Muhumure Nicholas
11. No.66825 PC Ekip Isaac
12. No.PC Adeun Mathew
13. No. 67821 PC Ssebunya Mimu
14. NO. 36244 PC Ojera Brian
15. No. 67294 PC Dhibaluma Denis
16. No. PC Osmami Stephen
17. No. 61547 PC Birungi Doreen
18. No. PC Nasuna Juliet
19. No. 38942 PC Ogwal Richard
20. No. 64113 PC Otai John Bosco
21. Unable to talk woman
22. Unable to talk woman
23. Unable to talk man.
24. Unable to talk man.
25. Unable to talk man.
26. No. 66187 PC Nakafero Fiona
27. Daniel Tingu (Security Guard)
28. Nakato Perepetua
29. Maseruka George
30. Ongora Pius Andrew Deo
31. Kasekende Jackson
32. No. 39963 PC Tiberamunda Robert
33. No. 40383 PC Watojik Patrick