DHAKA: Ugandan forces arrested several terror suspects and recovered explosives in an operation to foil an "imminent" terrorist attack on the city of Kampala in Uganda, CNN reports.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy warned Americans there to stay indoors. The country's security forces have ratcheted up security in all public places, vowing to "effectively defeat whoever tried to endanger the lives and property of the people of Uganda," according to a police press statement.

The foiled terror plot was by the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab, the U.S. Embassy in Kampala said; it did not specify the targets. However, local police said that based on the type of explosives seized, they saw this attack plot as a possible repeat of last September's attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall and were particularly concerned about crowded areas.

Security forces were still searching for more suspects and and have declined to release the identities or number of suspects arrested, but said they were of various nationalities.

Earlier this month, a U.S. airstrike killed Ahmed Godane, the terror group's leader in Somalia. The group has since installed a new leader and vowed to avenge Godane's death.

BDST: 1133 HRS, SEP 14, 2014