The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT) has launched a hunt for four suspected terrorists allegedly loaded with Improvised Explosive Devices –IEDs. One of the suspects, Abdullahim Kintu was arrested Sunday with an IED trying to access Pr Robert Kayanja’s church in Lubaga, Kampala.
According to Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Kintu had concealed the explosive inside a food flask and placed material on the top. “It wasn’t easy to identify this IED because one could easily think it was just food. We thank the vigilance of our officers,” Onyango said.
Pr Kayanja said it was God’s intervention for the terrorist not to gain entry because he would have caused a lot of havoc. Kayanja said on Sundays they have four services that attract huge congregations and the effect would have been massive.
Fred Enanga, the Police spokesperson, said Kintu was handed over to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence –CMI, JATT, the Internal Security Organisation –ISO, and the Directorate of Crime Intelligence –DCI. Enanga said Kintu was one of the wanted suspects on the CMI list and after his arrest, he revealed that they were dispatched six of them to cause terror in places of worship, especially churches.
Information from JATT shows that Kintu is a resident of Mbizzinya, Buwama sub-county, in the Mpigi district. Kintu and others still at large were renting in Lungujja zone Viii. So far, military, police, and intelligence agencies have picked three IEDs from the suspects’ rented rooms.
The Bomb at Pr Kayanja’s church and three others that were found in Lungujja were detonated at the scenes by the police and military bomb squads. Security agencies recovered two more IEDs on Monday inside a guest house at the Mabiito hub in Nateete and Bunamwaya. They were also detonated at the scenes.
Messages about terrorists targeting churches started circulating on Friday night and security sources have said it was an internal communication that was wrongfully released to the public. The last terror attack that shocked the country was at Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe town, in Kasese district. The terrorists linked to Allied Democratic Forces –ADF burnt the school, shot and cut 44 and neighbors to death.
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