Uganda’s joint security taskforce has revealed the rebel commander behind bomb blasts that have hit the country in the past three days.
On Saturday, a bomb blast at a hangout in Komamboga, Kampala, killed one person.
On October 25 evening, another bomb exploded aboard a Swift Safaris bus headed to Ishaka Town, killing a man who has since been identified as suicide bomber Muzafalu aka Isaac Matovu.
Now, Uganda Police spokesperson Fred Enanga has said ADF and Islamic State (IS) are behind the bomb explosions.
“We strongly, believe the attackers are part of the sleeper cells in the country, inspired by ADF in close collaboration with the Islamic State. From our analysis they are attacking soft targets, which are many and quite difficult to defend. They have plans of targeting civilians at easily accessible locations such as eating sports, public transportation like buses, taxis, places of worship, pedestrian areas, bars operating stealthily and any other crowded areas,” said Enanga.
“We have further established that they have been recruiting, radicalizing and researching on how to build improvised explosive device, and how to carry out attacks in Uganda. Their motive is clearly ideological and out of hatred by the ADF, that could be harboring plans of a bigger plot.”
Security agencies say that the ADF carrying out the attacks has been active since August 2021 and is strongly coordinated by one of the ADF Commanders based in the DR Congo.
Enanga identified the ADF rebel leader commanding the attacks as Meddie Nkalubo aka Martin MD aka Benjo aka Benjamin Franklin aka Meddie Lee aka Punisher.
“He has been hiding in the DRC for the last six years. He coordinated the terror incident in Pader district, targeting mourners at the burial of the late DIGP Lt. Gen. Paul Lokech, on the 27.08.202, but our task teams managed to foil that attack. Two members of the suspected group of terrorists, including an IED expert, Abdul Rashid Katumba, and a courier identified as Hassan Rwangabo, were arrested. A third suspect identified as Nsubuga Hamid aka Young Midu, the would-be suicide bomber, escaped from Pader, but was surveilled and put out of action, in Kyebando, while on VIP assassination mission in Kampala on the 4.10.2021,” further revealed Enanga.
“In addition, he coordinated failed attack on Kawempe police station, the deadly attack at Komamboga, where a 20-year-old, Nyinaneza Emily was killed and 3 others injured. As well as the suicide bomb attack on SWIFT Bus that occurred on the 25.10.2021 at Lungala in Mpigi.”
