By Faith Nyasuguta
Triple suicide bombings have killed at least three people in Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday.
Dozens have been nabbed in the bombings in a country that is seen as a stable bulwark against Islamic extremism in Africa.
So far, over 33 people are undergoing treatment in hospital, including five in very critical condition, according to police spokesperson Fred Enanga.
Enanga confirmed that the death toll including the three bombers was six.
A diplomat speaking to Reuters said that two police officers were among the victims with Enanga confirming that the death toll included police but declined giving more details.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility but police have cited intelligence indications to say that Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were responsible.
“Our intelligence … indicates that these are domestic terror groups that are linked to ADF,” Enanga said.
The explosions – with the first near the central police station and the second very close to parliament – sent bloodied office workers rushing for cover over shards of broken glass as a plume of white smoke rose above the downtown area.
A suicide bomber described as wearing a backpack executed the first blast near the checkpoint at the police station, killing two people, Enanga said.
The second attack, which involved two suicide bombers on motorbikes, killed one other person.
“A booming sound like that from a big gun went off. The ground shook, my ears nearly went deaf,” Peter Olupot, a 28-year-old bank guard who was near the attack close to parliament said.
“I saw a vehicle on fire and everyone was running and panicking. I saw a boda boda (motorcycle) man – his head was smashed and covered in blood.”
Anti-terrorism police have arrested a separate person that was preparing to execute an attack, Enanga said, adding: “We are now pursuing other members of the terror group.”
In the past, the al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al Shabaab has carried out deadly attacks in Uganda, including a 2010 attack that killed 70 people.
