Ugandan police foil ADF plot to bomb churches - Yoweri Museveni

Ugandan police have thwarted several security threats on churches in recent years

Ugandan police have foiled a plot by Islamic State-linked militants to bomb churches in central Butambala district, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

Two bombs were linked to public address systems and sent to pastors, disguised as gifts, Mr Museveni said.

Members of the public became suspicious of the devices and told the police, he added on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The president blamed the plot on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group linked to Islamic State.

The ADF has not yet commented.

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Formed in 1990s, the ADF took up arms against President Museveni, alleging persecution of Muslims.

After suffering heavy setbacks at the hands of the Ugandan army in 2001, it relocated to North Kivu province in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The group pledged allegiance to IS in 2016.

It has been blamed for a series of deadly attacks in Uganda, including the killing of more than 40 people, mostly students, at a boarding school in June.

Mr Museveni said the militants had planned to detonate two bombs in churches in Kibibi, about 50km (30 miles) from the capital, Kampala, on Sunday, but the devices "were reported to police and defused".

"The evil plan was foiled," he said, urging people "not to accept gifts from strangers".

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Museveni said Ugandan forces had carried out air strikes against four ADF positions in DR Congo.

"It seems quite a number of terrorists were killed," the president said.

He warned that the ADF were "re-entering Uganda and trying to commit some random terrorist acts".

In September, Ugandan police said they had foiled a bomb attack in one of the biggest churches in Kampala.

A man suspected of trying to detonate a bomb among worshippers was arrested, police added.