KAMPALA, UGANDA – Uganda’s director of public prosecution has charged 15 suspects with terrorism in connection with November bombings claimed by the Islamic State terror group.
The 15 suspects appeared Wednesday before a magistrates court where the charges were read to them.
The charges are in connection with bombings and other terror activities in the areas of Mpigi, Wakiso and Kampala in which four people were killed.
The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks but authorities believe they were carried out by a Ugandan rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces.
Jacquelyn Okui is the spokesperson for Uganda’s director of public prosecution.
“Director of public prosecution has charged 15 suspects with three counts of terrorism, two counts of aiding and abetting terrorism and one count of belonging to a terrorist organization,” Okui said.
The suspects, all Ugandan nationals, include five women.
Okui says the matter is still being investigated and upon completion, the police will resubmit the case file to the DPP’s office for the purpose of putting the suspects on trial.
During raids to dismantle the ADF cells in the East African country following the November suicide bombings, Uganda Police said they killed five suspected terrorists and arrested over 20 suspected ADF members.
Ugandan and Democratic Republic of Congo army forces also launched air strikes and sent troops into Congo’s Beni district to hunt for ADF fighters.
The joint forces reported capturing 35 ADF fighters and destroying some of the rebel force’s strongholds in eastern DRC.
The ADF has been blamed for thousands of killings in the DRC and Uganda over the past two decades.
