An international terrorist reported to have twice sneaked into Uganda was wounded during last week"s Al Shabaab attack on an army camp in Kenya, security forces said.
Andreas Martin Mueller, a German national on Uganda's list of most wanted suspects, is now wanted by the Kenyan government which has placed a Ksh10m (sh320m) bounty on him.
Mueller and Emrah Erdogan alias Imraan AL-Kurdy, a German of Turkish origin, are believed to have played a key role in planning the July 2010 twin bomb attacks in Kampala.
In 2012, Mueller and Erdogan are said to have sneaked into the country via Limuru, Kenya.
Mueller sneaked into the country again, in October 2013 aboard a Kaliita Bus Reg. NO KBF 057N.
Kenyan authorities announced that during the June 15 Al shabaab raid on Baure army camp in Lamu County, Kenya Defense Forces killed 11 terrorists.
Mueller, who reportedly coordinated the attack, escaped with injuries. Army spokesperson Lt Col Paddy Ankunda Monday said the UPDF was cooperating with Kenyan security forces to hunt for Mueller and his accomplices.
New terror alert
In a fresh terror alert issued Monday, Police warned that the Al-shabaab terrorists were planning to attack Uganda during the Ramadhan period.
Police spokesperson Fred Enganga said security forces had put in place measures to prevent possible attacks on Uganda but appealed to the public to remain vigilant.
"We continue to receive intelligence reports from our security agencies and friendly countries that the Al-shabaab terrorist group plans to attack Uganda, targeting the Ramadhan period. We also received intelligence information about the planned attack shortly after Sunday"s raid by the Alshabaab on a military intelligence base in Somalia"s capital, Mogadishu," said Enanga.
Four militants were killed after setting off a car bomb inside the compound. Enanga warned that although security forces have managed to prevent terror attacks on Uganda since July 2010, Ugandans should take alerts seriously and remain cautious.
He appealed to the public to watch out for abandoned objects like bags, cars, boxes, gifts, flowers, flasks, mails and parcels, abandoned suitcases, dust bins, electronics.Among security measures stepped up to counter the threat is the deployment of guards and sniffer dogs in some public areas.
Police also wants institutions such as schools, hospitals, Universities to step up security checks at points of entry and exit.Owners of facilities like :banks, malls are advised to ensure that premises are kept free from clutter including rubbish containers, excessive stock and equipment that can be bomb shelters.
Police also wants security lights, alarms and cameras to be installed at hotels, malls, supermarkets, public buildings and crowded public places.'We are cooperating with Kenya in not only stopping this one terrorist but even the others who harbor plans to hurt East Africans,' he said.
Who is Mueller?
Mueller has been operating under several aliases, including Ahmed Khaled, Muller Martin Muller, and Abu Nusaibah.He is 42-years old and comes from Cochem, Germany. He is based in Somalia and is a member of Al-Qaeda. He is believed to have gone to Somalia in late 2011.
Security sources indicate that Mueller was seconded to Al-Shabaab by its affiliate Al-Qaeda in Pakistan in 2011. In 2012, it was reported that Mueller was planning to bomb an unknown target.
At that time, he sneaked into Uganda but was quickly identified by Ugandan intelligence officials. Mueller is one of the few Western foreign fighters who survived the fallen Al-Shabaab"s supreme leader, Ahmed Godane's purge against foreign fighters.
Godane, who was killed in a drone attack by the US in September 2014, felt foreigners might challenge his authority.
Kenyan security forces suspect that Mueller could have been involved in the Mpeketoni attack of June 2014, in which 70 people were killed.
According to Kenya"s interior ministry, the attack on Baure camp was carried out by terrorists from the Jeshi la Ayman, an Al-Shabaab unit that operates in Boni Forest near the Somalia border.
Its leader, Issa Luqman Osman was killed in the failed attack.Kenyan security agencies and their allies are tracing the spate of recent attacks to the influx foreign jihadists.
Since 2011, about 400 jihadists from the West have joined the Al-Shabaab but the numbers have significantly increased in the last one year, Kenya"s Standard newspaper reported yesterday, quoting a security report.
The foreign fighters are said to be mostly from US, Canada, UK and Saudi Arabia. They are revered within Al-Shabaab ranks due to their experience having fought for the Taliban and ISIS.
The US has strengthened its army base in Kismayu increased need for support and co-operation intelligence with the Kenyan and regional forces in the fight against the terrorist group.
Source: newvision.co.ug