Twin bombings in Uganda leave dozens dead

KAMPALA, Uganda — 

Bomb blasts ripped through two separate bars packed with soccer fans watching the World Cup final in the Ugandan capital Kampala late Sunday, killing dozens of people, including an American, police said Monday.

The deadliest attack occurred at a rugby club as people watched the game between Spain and the Netherlands on a large-screen TV outdoors. The second blast took place at an Ethiopian restaurant, where at least three Americans were wounded.

“At this moment we can confirm that one American has been killed,” U.S. Embassy public affairs officer Joan Lockard said.

There was some initial confusion over the total number of dead, with reports as high as 64.

Kampala’s police chief said he believed Somalia’s most feared militant group, al-Shabab, could be responsible for the attack. Al-Shabab is known to have links with Al Qaeda, and it counts militant veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan conflicts among its ranks.

A head and legs were found at the rugby club, suggesting a suicide bomber may have been to blame, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.

At least three Americans -- part of a church group from Pennsylvania -- were wounded at the Ethiopian restaurant. One was Kris Sledge, 18, of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

“I remember blacking out, hearing people screaming and running,” Sledge said from the hospital. His right leg was wrapped and he had burns on his face. “I love the place here but I’m wondering why this happened and who did this ... At this point we’re just glad to be alive.”

At the scenes of the two blasts, blood and pieces of flesh littered the floor among overturned chairs.

Heavily armed police cordoned off both blast sites and searched the areas with sniffer dogs while dazed survivors helped pull the wounded away from the wreckage.

Reveling one minute in the dying moments of the final between Spain and Netherlands, the bombings left shocked survivors standing among corpses and scattered chairs.

“We were watching soccer here and then when there were three minutes to the end of the match an explosion came ... and it was so loud,” witness Juma Seiko said outside the Kampala Rugby Club.

In Mogadishu, Somalia, Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa, an al-Shabab commander, said early Monday that he was happy with the attacks in Uganda. Issa refused to confirm or deny that al-Shabab was responsible.

“Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah’s anger be upon those who are against us,” he said.

On Sunday, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said the U.S. was prepared to provide any necessary assistance to the Ugandan government.

“The president is deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from these deplorable and cowardly attacks, and sends his condolences to the people of Uganda and the loved ones of those who have been killed or injured,” Vietor said.

Twin coordinated attacks have been a hallmark of Al Qaeda and groups linked to Osama bin Laden’s militant network.

Police said it was possible those behind the attacks on the Ethiopian Village and rugby club were targeting foreigners.

Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia in 2006 to oust an Islamist movement from Mogadishu. That sparked the Islamist insurgency which still rages.

Uganda, east Africa’s third-largest economy, is attracting billions of dollars of foreign investment, especially in its oil sector and government debt markets, after two decades of relative stability.

But investors in Uganda and neighbouring Kenya, which shares a largely porous border with Somalia, often cite the threat from Islamic militants as a serious concern.

“The information we have indicates the people who have attacked the Ethiopian Village were probably targeting expatriates,” Kayihura said.

“We have evil-minded characters who have been warning us, like the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), al Shabab and the Lord’s Resistance Army.”

The Lord’s Resistance Army waged a two-decade-old war in northern Uganda before crossing into Sudan and further afield into central Africa. In May, Uganda said the ADF could be regrouping along the western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Saturday, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told Reuters he was worried by the growing number of foreign jihadists joining the ranks of Islamic insurgents and said they posed a growing threat to regional security.

Regional allies are preparing to send an extra 2,000 peacekeepers to Somalia, bringing the total number of African Union troops to around 8,100. Al Shabaab responded by urging Muslims to join a jihad and pledged to attack before being attacked.