Uganda Police, US Embassy Warn of Possible Attacks

Uganda-map

Police in Uganda say they have received “credible information” that Somali militant group al-Shabab is planning an attack in the capital, Kampala.

The warning Thursday follows a similar message from the U.S. embassy in Kampala a day earlier.

The police statement says al-Shabab may target public places such as hotels, malls, markets and parks and urges people to watch out for suspicious activity or objects.

The Ugandan government said on Twitter that “effective measures are in place to deter any possible attacks.”

The U.S. embassy said Wednesday that it has canceled some non-essential events scheduled at local hotels “out of an abundance of caution.”

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for twin bombings that killed more than 70 people in Kampala in July of 2010.  The al-Qaida-linked group also claimed the 2013 assault on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

The U.S. embassy issued warnings about a possible al-Shabab attack in Kampala last September, but later said measures by the Ugandan government had disrupted the plot.

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