Security has made a breakthrough in the recent wave of attacks targeting police stations after the suspected mastermind of the attacks was arrested and nine guns recovered.
The suspected leader of the group was arrested by the Crime Intelligence in Masaka.
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga confirmed the development.
"We are happy that the leader of the terror cell in Nyendo, Masaka city, Ali Katende alias Mao is arrested. He would coordinate all these other attacks from Masaka and would join other terror cells in Matuga and Maganjo to attack the various police stations and civilians around the country,"Enanga said on Sunday.
The development comes on the backdrop of the arrest of two people in Kawempe suspected to be part of the group last week by a joint team of the Crime Intelligence and the Flying Squad Unit.
In the extension of the same operation, two other men suspected to also be part of the group were killed at Kito village in Matugga in Wakiso district.
The police spokesperson on Sunday explained that the arrest followed the earlier apprehension of suspects linked to the group.
"Following leads from the earlier suspects arrested, we managed to track down Katende , a senior ADF commander of Nyendo Masaka cell."
Enanga described the raid as a successful one since they dismantled the ADF major cell in Nyendo where they managed to recover a PK machine gun, a Russian made belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mmR rimmed cartridge.
The suspects who raided Kyabadaaza Police Station were reported to have been moving with such a gun.
"We also recovered, seven SMGs, one pistol and an assortment of explosives in the hideout from the populated neighbourhood in Kyalugo village, Bugambira parish in Nyendo-Mukungwe division in Masaka City," Enanga said.
The mastermind
The police spokesperson explained that during their investigations, it has been established that Katende who is the mastermind of all the attacks and has been in charge of the ADF cell in Nyendo would not carry out attacks in his area in Masaka.
According to Enanga, the senior ADF leader would rather travel to distant areas like Maganjo and Matugga from where he would coordinate the attacks on police stations.
The police spokesperson said a ballistic examination by the Forensic Directorate has linked the suspects to the attack at Busiika police station and Kyabadaaza police station.
"We have got information on identifies and descriptions of other ADF agents still at large to stop them from constitution operational cells around the country."
The terror cells
Security says that after earlier operations that saw the dismantling of ADF terror cells around the country, the group had reconstituted new cells which were operating underground.
The police spokesperson explained that the smaller reconstituted cells were spread around the country including in
They have been trying to reconstitute and form smaller cells and spread around the country like one in Nyendo, Maganjo and then in Matugga.
These would carry out attacks. The one in Matugga is suspected to have been responsible for the attack on Busiika police station.
President Museveni last week said security had got clues to the people attacking police stations after the attack on Kyabadaaza police station earlier this month where assailants moving on motorcycles fired bullets to force the release of their colleagues who had earlier been arrested during cattle theft.
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"Here they left behind some evidence. Using those signs, security forces have been hunting for them until Friday when police raided an ADF cell in Maganjo where two suspects were arrested."
According to the president, after arresting the two suspects in Maganjo, they divulged more information of having been part of ADF and that these gave more clues leading to the arrest of their colleagues.
The president however assured the public that the group behind the attacks on police stations will be dealt with decisively.
"Don't worry about these people. Be assured there is no threat we cannot handle. There is no way you can come with guns and think you can survive. My advice to them and those who have been helping them is that they should surrender and get out. Wherever they go, we see them," he said.
