December 20 – Ethiopian police have swooped to arrest five more people suspected of plotting suicide bombings during the country’s World Cup qualifier against Nigeria in October that could have killed scores of fans.
The planned attack failed when two Somalis belonging to the militant Islamist group al Shabaab accidentally blew themselves up a short distance away from the Addis Ababa Stadium.
The pair had returned to their rented house because of heavy security, wearing the explosive vests which they had planned to detonate once inside the stadium, according to reports.
Three suspects were detained at the scene, where security forces found hand grenades and football shirts.
Ethiopia is one of the African Union countries that has sent troops to Somalia to help crush al Shabaab’s six-year insurgency. The government in Addis Ababa announced last month that its security forces were on heightened alert after receiving strong evidence that al Shabaab was plotting attacks on its territory.
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