DAR, MWANZA UNDER TERROR PLOT

 

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

By Godfrey Obonyo  
Al-shabaab militants are planning to carry out terrorist attacks in two cities of Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, The Guardian on Sunday has learnt.

 

Information that started circulating in public domain early yesterday stated that the Islamist militant group is operating under detour camouflage to organise terror activities in the country’s big cities.

 

The plot to inflict terror mayhem among Dar es Salaam and Mwanza dwellers would target Uganda as well, the civic intelligence reads, but without mentioning the location.

 

This paper took it up to establish the authenticity of the information and revealed that security sources were also working with the second ear.

 

The information that sparked attention of both local and international social media and spread first to the newsmen reads that “BREAKING NEWS: The Australian, UK and US Governments have issued an enhanced terrorist alert for Uganda. Al Jazeera TV have intimated possible attacks in Mwanza and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

 

 The message further reads: “For information, James Ferdinand of UNAS Security and ATN Officer at the Philippines Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, can be contacted. Take care tonight. 

 

A massive bombing or hostage taking mission expected in Uganda in the next 48 hours. It's advised to stay indoors Army deployment heavy in kla. Even in malls. Apparently they want to enter a place & shoot as many people as possible. So avoid crowded places”.

 

When reached for comment, Police spokesperson SSP Advera Bulimba said there was enormous need of taking precautions especially during the Easter festivities, saying people should avoid hanging-out  in insecure places.  

 

“We would neither say that Al-shabaab is master minding a terror attack in the mentioned cities, nor talk about their whereabouts, but a red alert is needed among the people.” She said insisting that more explanations would be unhealthy to security needs.

 

The police offer further issued an alert that people should not unnecessarily gather in recreational centres including beaches, bars and other places that attract big crowds. 

 

“We are not calling them not to hangout, but to do so should be in a cautious manner despite the tough security work that police have deployed in those areas,” she asserted in a statement the police have released to media as Easter festive alert, and warning parents and guardians to carefully monitor movement of their children.

 

According to the police spokesperson other areas that need much attention include private and public transport means, (commuter busses) and night clubs.  

 

In the statement, Police have also made an imperative call to owners of business ventures that attract crowding customers to immediately install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras that help produce images or recordings for surveillance purposes, and can be either video cameras, or digital stills cameras.

 

She listed that areas that need CCTV-cameras include shops, supermarkets, hotels, banks, hospitals, bars and others of the like.

 

The clue is coming at the backdrop of a series of ignored information that has made the East African region to experience bloodshed on Friday after Al-shabaab militants attack Garrissa University in Kenya on Friday killing at least 148 people a head of spilling information.  

 

Whether the attack would be part of the operations ordered by the ISIS to the Islamic terror groups in Africa is another question to ask.

 

About three weeks ago ISIS, a terrorist group carrying out its operations in Iraq and Syria ordered Boko Haram to step up attacks in all five West African countries fighting against it.

 

While in East Africa ISIS ordered Al-Shabaab to implement similar attacks in East African major cities, the two terror groups - Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab - have already pledged allegiance to the ISIS.

 

This recalls similar attacks which occurred on 7 August 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the embassies of the United States in two East African cities – the Embassy in Dar es Salaam, the largest city of Tanzania, and the embassy in Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya.

 

Similarly on July 11,2010 at least three bombs exploded in a synchronised attack on large gatherings of World Cup soccer fans watching a televised match in which more than 70 people were killed.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN