By Abdel-Qader Foudi
MOGADISHU
Somali militant group Al-Shabaab has denied Ugandan claims of planning attacks in the East African country.
"These claims are groundless," spokesman Mahmoud Raji said in a Facebook statement on Monday.
He claimed that the Ugandan allegations were an attempt to distract attention away from what he described as "Ugandan military defeats" in Somalia.
Ugandan security agencies said Saturday that they had foiled a terrorist plot, arresting several suspects thought to be linked to Al-Shabaab group.
Police said explosive materials – meant for use in the planned attack – had been found in the suspects' possession.
But Raji insisted that those arrested by Ugandan authorities "had nothing to do with mujahideen (fighters)".
With a total of 6223 soldiers serving under the African Union Somalia Mission (AMISOM), Uganda represents the largest contributor of troops to Somalia.
Uganda's sizeable contingent operates alongside forces drawn from Burundi, Kenya, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
Although Al-Shabaab lost most of its strongholds after AMISOM troops were deployed to Somalia in 2007, the militant group continues to carry out attacks on Somali government officials and foreign troops.
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