(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Tanzanian authorities on Wednesday arrested nine people on suspicion of belonging to Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, killing a tenth suspect in the process.
"These people were hiding in a mosque in the Nyandero neighborhood of the Kilombero district," Leonard Paul, police commander in Tanzania's western-central Morogoro region, told The Anadolu Agency by phone.
He said one suspect, identified as Hamad Makwendo, had been shot dead by police while trying to escape.
"During the arrest, one police officer, Corporal Nasoro Mohamed, was injured after one of the suspects tried to cut off his head with a sword," the police chief added.
He said police and other security organs had received a tipoff from "good citizens" about a group of people hiding out in a mosque for an unknown reason.
Police had surrounded the mosque before arresting the suspects holed up inside.
"After a thorough search, we found a bag containing 30 explosive devices, black flags with Arabic text meaning 'One God' and face masks," the police chief told AA.
"Another bag was full of swords, screwdrivers, army uniforms and metal saws," he added.
Tanzanian security agencies have been on high alert since at least 148 people € mostly students € were killed on April 2 in a devastating attack on northern Kenya's Garissa University College.
Somalia's Al-Shabaab group swiftly claimed responsibility for the carnage.
"Our security agencies are on high alert and ready to prevent and combat any terror threat or attack," Tanzanian Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe told AA.
Last weekend, security forces deployed frequent patrols around educational institutions, especially universities, and churches and mosques.
A shadowy militant group has recently threatened to carry out attacks in the East African countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
"Together with our brothers in Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda, we will redraw the map of East Africa," the so-called Al-Muhajirin group said in a video released Saturday.
The group says it wants to establish sharia (Islamic law) in the three East African countries.
Early this year, Tanzanian security forces clashed with armed men thought to be linked to Al-Shabaab who had been hiding out in the Amboni caves in the northern Tanga region.
One army officer was killed and six others injured in the gunfight.
Tanzania saw its worst terror attack in 1998, when the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam was bombed, killing dozens of Tanzanians and leaving many others injured.
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