Sudanese authorities have arrested forty-one people in connection with the seizure of a large batch of explosives with the potential to level an area equivalent to the country’s capital, Khartoum. The seized explosives included, TNT and ammonium nitrate like that which caused the Beirut port explosion in August.
The arrests were made following intelligence of increased movement of explosives and terrorists in Sudan a country that has been struggling with rebels and Islamists as well as a struggling transitional government. 850 blocks of TNT explosives, 3594 blasting caps, 13 bundles of detonation cord, and 4 bags of ammonium nitrate were seized in the operation.
The seized explosives are similar to what had been captured in the investigation of the attempt to kill Prime Minister Hamdok earlier this year. This development is an indicator that the explosives could be used to attack or even be transported to neighboring countries in the region like Somalia that have been struggling with Al Qaeda affiliated terror organization; al Shabaab. While there has been intelligence that has been indicating the movement of terrorists, Sudanese authorities are wary of the movement of the explosive material because of the country’s fragile international standings.
