US warns of Uganda terror threat

The US embassy said there was a “specific threat” of an attack at the airport, located just outside the Ugandan capital city of Kampala. It advised passengers planning to travel at that time to review their arrangements.

It said the attack could take place between 9 pm and 11 pm (7pm and 9pm UK time), adding that US citizens planning to travel at that time might consider reviewing their arrangements.

In a statement, the embassy said: “The US embassy has received information from the Uganda Police Force that according to intelligence sources there is a specific threat to attack Entebbe International Airport by an unknown terrorist group.”

The U.S. Embassy has issued other alerts during the year about possible attacks in Uganda, which it says faces a “continued threat”.

In 2010 the Al-Shabaab Islamist group bombed sports bars in Uganda whilst people were watching the World Cup final. Last year the same group carried out an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall in neighbouring Kenya. Dozens were killed in both attacks.

Entebbe airport was the scene of a plane hijacking in 1976, when an Air France plane with 248 passengers on board was diverted to the airport by Palestinian and German terrorists. Around 100 of the passengers were held hostage for a week, before Israeli commandos staged a rescue operation to return them home.