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One Suspect Shot, 6 Arrested; Uganda Police Seize Bomb Materials


FILE - Police officers secure an area in Uganda on Dec. 14, 2021. Ugandan security forces arrested six people accused of building improvised explosive devices, in a raid in the Central Wakiso district from May 7 to 8, 2023.
FILE - Police officers secure an area in Uganda on Dec. 14, 2021. Ugandan security forces arrested six people accused of building improvised explosive devices, in a raid in the Central Wakiso district from May 7 to 8, 2023.

Six people accused of building explosive devices have been arrested in a joint security operation in Uganda that started Sunday night and ended Monday morning.

Police connected the men to online calls for a nationwide anti-government protest.

The operation in the Central Wakiso district involved the police, the head of military intelligence, the army and Uganda's internal security organization.

"The suspected terrorists had a camp here where they were assembling and making IEDs [improvised explosive devices]," said Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson. "The suspects we have will be taken to one of our police stations for more interviews and interrogations to ascertain the aim and probably their targets."

The arrested suspects were identified as Hamidu Ssekidde, Muhammad Kalyango, Abdul Katumba, Arafat Ssali, Emmanuel Asiimwe and Hamidu Muyondi.

According to the deputy spokesperson, Muyondi was mistakenly shot when a police officer forgot to put a safety pin on, and his gun discharged a bullet striking the suspect in the leg. The injury is said to be minor.

Police said the suspects wanted to cause mayhem in Kampala following online posts calling for Ugandans to come out in large numbers and join anti-government protests.

The social media posts had symbols and hashtags normally used by the National Unity Party, the main opposition group to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. However, when called by VOA, party officials said they were not behind the posts and chose not to make a comment about the arrests.

Police have not filed formal charges against the terror suspects. Charges are expected after an investigation, which will attempt to find any collaborators connected to the six.

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