Six arrests and one suspect shot; bomb materials seized by Ugandan police

A coordinated security operation in Uganda that began Sunday evening and lasted Monday morning resulted in the arrest of six suspects who are allegedly manufacturing explosive devices.

The men were linked by the police to online calls for a massive anti-government protest.

The army, the head of military intelligence, the police, and Uganda’s internal security agency were all participating in the operation in the Central Wakiso district.

According to Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, “the suspected terrorists had a camp here where they were assembling and making IEDs.” The suspects we have will be brought to one of our police stations for further questioning and interviews to determine the purpose and likely targets.

Hamidu Ssekidde, Muhammad Kalyango, Abdul Katumba, Arafat Ssali, Emmanuel Asiimwe, and Hamidu Muyondi were the names of the suspects who were apprehended.

The deputy spokesperson claimed that Muyondi was unintentionally shot after a police officer accidentally fired his gun without attaching a safety pin, injuring the suspect in the leg. The damage is reportedly minor.

According to the police, the suspects planned to cause havoc in Kampala after seeing online messages encouraging Ugandans to participate in anti-government demonstrations in huge numbers.

The National Unity Party, the primary opposition force to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, regularly uses symbols and hashtags in its social media posts. When reached by VOA, party leaders said they were not responsible for the posts and declined to comment on the arrests.

The terror suspects have not been officially charged by the police. After an investigation, which aims to identify any accomplices connected to the six, charges are anticipated.