Police Swoop On Suspected Al Shabaab Cell

Security services in Uganda say they have foiled an imminent terrorist attack after the seizure of "substantial amounts of explosives" and suicide vests in raids. 
Some 19 people were arrested in the police operation, which saw the US embassy warn its citizens to take shelter.

The authorities say the suspected al Shabaab terrorist cell was planning an assault on the capital Kampala.

 People in the city have been urged to remain vigilant.

The authorities say they have increased security at hotels and other sites

 Information Minister Rose Namayanja said: "The operation is still going on. We just want to ensure that we exhaust all the leads so that there are no more terrorist cells."

 

The Ugandan authorities say they have increased security at hotels and other key sites, including Entebbe International Airport.

 "Anything could have happened," if the plot had not been foiled, the minister said.

 The discovery of the alleged cell came as Kenya prepared to mark the first anniversary of an al Shabaab attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in which 67 people were killed.

 

In 2010, al Shabaab bombed sports bars in Uganda where people were watching the World Cup on television.

 Both Kenya and Uganda contribute troops as part of the African Union peacekeeping force battling al Shabaab in Somalia.

 The militant group, which is aligned with al Qaeda, has threatened more attacks since the killing of their leader Ahmed Godane in a US strike earlier this month. 

 Last week, the group targeted two military convoys near the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and on Saturday militants gunned down a senior Somali national security officer in his car.