UPDATE 2-Uganda explosions kill 23, targets soccer fans

Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:50pm GMT

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* Police report many casualties

* Bombs target soccer fans

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By Elias Biryabarema

KAMPALA, July 12 (Reuters) - Two separate explosions killed at least 23 people packed into bars in the Ugandan capital Kampala to watch the World Cup final on Sunday night, police said.

There was no immediate indication of who launched the attack. But al Qaeda-inspired al Shabaab extremists in Somalia have previously threatened to attack Uganda and Burundi for sending peacekeeping troops to the anarchic country to prop up the Western-backed government.

"The information we have indicates 13 people have died here at the Ethiopian Village (restaurant) and many others are injured and more than 10 people are reported to have died at the rugby club," Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura told reporters at the scene of one blast.

Police said there were many casualties at both blast sites.

Heavily armed troops cordoned off the area around the Ethiopian Village and evacuated the wounded, a Reuters witness said. Continued...

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