Triple suicide bombers target Ugandan capital

Three suicide bombers killed civilians and injured dozens in Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday (November 16).

One carried out the first blast near a checkpoint at the central police station.

Then, two other bombers on motorbikes detonated near parliament.

The explosions saw lawmakers rush for cover and cars burst into flames, according to media reports.

Bloodied office workers were sent scrambling over shards of broken glass as a plume of white smoke rose above the downtown area.

A Reuters witness saw burned cars behind a police cordon at the scene, and a local television reporter said he saw bodies in the street.

Here's local city mayor, Salim Uhuru.

"Very unfortunate to see. I have lost one of my friends, a police officer. And the rest the police will come and give more information about that. But it is very unfortunate. It is happening at such a time as we are trying to go back to our normal livelihoods. So, if these people can come at such a premises of police and set off a bomb, then you know things are not good."

A Ugandan military spokesperson told Reuters that there had been "multiple" blasts and "multiple" casualties but declined to give further details.

Uganda's police did not respond to initial requests for comment.

The bombs are the latest in a string of attacks over the last month.

No particular group immediately claimed responsibility for these explosions.

The al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al Shabaab has previously carried out deadly attacks in the country.

Last month another group, the Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, claimed its first attack there - a bomb - packed with shrapnel - that killed a restaurant waitress.

Both the ADF and al Shabaab frequently use explosive devices and have been accused of killing thousands of civilians.