TOPLINE
At least two people were killed and several others were injured in two explosions in the center of Kampala on Tuesday, Reuters reported citing local television coverage, an incident that comes at a time when the Ugandan military is engaged in a conflict with al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.
KEY FACTS
According to NTV Uganda, the two explosions took place near Uganda’s Parliamentary main gate and near Kampala’s Central Police Station offices.
The cause of the blasts remain unclear, but at least two people have been confirmed dead.
According to news outlets, a local hospital has received 27 injured people, seven of whom are in a critical condition.
A Ugandan military spokesperson told Reuters that there had been “multiple” blasts and “multiple” casualties but did not offer any additional details.
The Ugandan Red Cross Society said it has managed to resuscitate at least 17 people injured in the blast and noted that its emergency teams were working closely with local police officials.
KEY BACKGROUND
While no one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack the Al Qaeda-linked insurgent group Al-Shabaab and Islamic State-backed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), have carried out similar attacks in Uganda in the past. The Ugandan military is currently fighting Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia as part of an U.N.-backed African Union peacekeeping force.