Four killed in St Valentine's Day bombings
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.TWO POWERFUL bomb blasts ripped through a bar and a shop in a popular Kampala entertainment district crowded with St Valentine's Day revellers, killing four people and seriously injuring more than 35.
The synchronised attacks, calculated to cause maximum casualties, were launched on Sunday in the Kabalagala district, which is frequented by foreign expatriates and aid workers, as well as Ugandans.
The first bomb exploded at 9.30pm, devastating the open-air Telex bar. Plastic tables and chairs were torn apart and one person was impaled by analuminium umbrella pole.
Five minutes later, a second bomb exploded outside a small supermarket next door. Three people were reportedly killed instantly and many others critically injured. Street vendors and passers-by were maimed by flying debris.
The bombings appear to mark a resumption of the violent campaign that rocked the Ugandan capital last year, in which around 26 people died in a series of explosions at bars and restaurants.
The supposedly Islamic fundamentalist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group based in western Uganda, was blamed. If Sunday's bombings are found to be linked to the ADF, it could seriously undermine the government's pretext for invading the Republic of Congo last year. President Yoweri Museveni has consistently claimed his forces are only in the Congo to weed out and crush the ADF rebels.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments