UPDF Kills Two Terrorists in Munyonyo, Suicide Bomber was Daughter of 2021 Kampala CPS Attacker

Ugandan security agencies have this Tuesday released a photograph of one of the suicide bombers involved in this morning’s foiled terror attack targeting pilgrims at Munyonyo Basilica, revealing chilling links to Uganda’s previous terror incidents.

The female bomber who was intercepted and killed in the attempted attack is the daughter of the suicide bomber who blew himself up at Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) during the coordinated terror attacks of November 2021.

Those attacks were later claimed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS).

The photograph, released as part of ongoing investigations, shows the young woman in an unfinished house.

Intelligence officials say she was wearing a suicide vest and attempting to access Munyonyo Basilica, one of the key pilgrimage sites for Uganda Martyrs Day, before being intercepted by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) counter-terrorism operatives.

“Upon being shot, the suicide vests exploded,” said a source.

The attack was foiled during a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation, which also neutralized a second male suspect.

The suspects had reportedly arrived at the scene on a boda boda motorcycle, which was destroyed in the blast.

Human remains were recovered from the scene and the entire area remains under heavy security as forensic teams continue their investigations.

In the 2021 attack, the bomber had approached the entrance of CPS in Kampala, detonating his explosive belt at close range, killing himself and several others.

The CPS bombing was one of three coordinated explosions that morning, including another suicide attack near Parliament Avenue.

The 2021 attacks marked one of the deadliest terror incidents in Uganda in recent years and signaled an escalation in ADF’s urban operations beyond its traditional strongholds along the DRC-Uganda border.

In a statement earlier today, Colonel Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information, said, “A UPDF counter-terrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb. It was an intelligence-led operation, and the security services are on heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption.”

The foiled attack comes as Uganda hosts its annual Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations, marking the execution of 45 Christian converts between 1885 and 1887.

The day draws millions of pilgrims from Uganda, East Africa, and beyond, making it one of the country’s most high-profile religious events.