According to the Ugandan Army, two armed terrorists approached the Uganda Martyrs pilgrimage site in Munyonyo, Kampala, this morning.
(LifeSiteNews)-- An attempted terrorist attack at the Uganda Martyrs' Basilica in Kampala failed today.
According to the Ugandan Army, two armed terrorists approached the pilgrimage site in Munyonyo, Kampala, this morning, June 3, at 8:30 a.m. local time, but were killed by anti-terrorist personnel 500 meters from the church. Huge crowds were expected at the Basilica, also known as the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine, as today is the Feast of the Ugandan Martyrs.
"This morning, a UPDF [Uganda People’s Defence Forces] counter-terrorism unit intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists in Munyonyo, an upscale city suburb,” a military spokesperson informed media. “It was an intelligence-led operation, and the security services are on heightened alert to ensure the Martyrs Day celebrations proceed without disruption."
According to Agenzia Fides, an official news source of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the terrorists were would-be suicide bombers wearing “explosive vests.”
"Our specialized counter terrorism combat unit opened fire at the terrorists, sparking an explosion that killed them," a military source stated.
In the aftermath, security forces found the remains of the attackers and the motorcycle they had been riding. According to Reuters, one of those killed by security forces was a woman. She has been identified by the UPDF as Aisha Katushabe, a woman in her twenties who had previously been arrested for her ties to an Islamist rebel group called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Katushabe was allegedly the daughter of a suicide bomber and the widow of another suspected terrorist, who was himself killed by counter-terrorism forces. The UPDF spokesman stated that the motorcycle was registered in the name Musana Yusuf.
Nobody else was hurt.
Agenzia Fides reported that “Police Inspector General Abbas Byakagaba urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with the authorities by reporting any suspicious person, object, or activity.”
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to arrive at the Basilica throughout the day. Last year almost 690,000 pilgrims took part in Martyrs Day celebrations, which center on the larger Ugandan Martyrs Shrine 20 miles alway in Namugongo. Nevertheless, Agenzia Fides estimates that 2.5 million pilgrims will be welcomed by the Munyonyo Basilica.
READ: The Ugandan Martyrs are true examples of chastity in a lust-ridden world
Every June 3, Christians in Africa commemorate the 23 Anglican and 22 Roman Catholic martyrs who were executed between 1885 and 1887 in Uganda. The Christians, known as the Ugandan Martyrs, were burned alive on the orders of Mwanga II, the homosexual Kabaka (king) of Buganda in central Uganda, for refusing to comply with his wishes to reject Jesus Christ and Christian doctrine concerning sexuality.
The Catholic martyrs were beatified by Pope Benedict XV in 1920 and canonized on October 18, 1964, by Pope Paul VI.
Every year, a large number of pilgrims begins their journey long before the actual date of commemorations, some traveling over long distances barefoot from neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.
READ: The Uganda Martyrs: Faith can cost everything
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