Kampala - Ugandan police have found an unexploded suicide vest abandoned at a discotheque in Makindye, a city suburb in the south of the capital city of Kampala.
Kale Kayihura, Uganda's Inspector General of Police, told reporters that a suicide vest, laden with explosives and fitted with a detonator, had been found packed in a black laptop bag at ICS Discotheque in Makindye on Monday.
He said the vest was consistent with the evidence found at the twin blast sites at Kyandondo Rugby Club in a suburb east of Kampala and an Ethiopian restaurant, south of Kampala, which killed at least 76 people, and injured 71 others on Sunday night.
The twin bomb explosions tore into a huge crowd watching the World Cup final at the two venues. Among the dead were 10 Ethiopians and Eritreans, an Indian, a Congolese and an American.
"It a multi-purpose suicide vest, which could be used as an IED (improvised explosive device). It's a significant lead in our investigations," said Kayihura, who was flanked by Abbas Byakagaba, the police director of counter terrorism.
"It seems the attacker became a coward and abandoned it," he said.
He said a number of arrests have been made in connection with the twin explosions, but refused to give more details.
"We have made some fresh arrests. There could be some Somali's. But it's too early for me to give the numbers or their identities," he said, adding that, "We are taking extreme measures. We shall get these monsters and terrorists."
He said the Sunday attack was sophisticated and linked it to international terrorism but also pointed a hand at a home grown Muslim group operating under Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Al Shabab, an armed faction fighting the Somali Transitional Government with known links with al Qaeda, has already claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The attack is pointing to international terrorists. Al Shabaab is linked with ADF. ADF is composed of Ugandans. Al Shabaab and ADF are linked to Al Qaeda," said Kayihura.
On Tuesday, the national flag was flying at half mast in Uganda as the country started a week of national mourning, declared by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday.
Meanwhile, following the bombings in Kampala on Sunday, the White House announced that President Barrack Obama had phoned Ugandan President President Yoweri Museveni to express "sincere condolences for the loss of life."
Obama labelled the blasts as deplorable and cowardly attacks, saying Washington was ready to help Uganda in hunting down those responsible.
President Obama has sent a three-person FBI team to Uganda to assist authorities to collect evidence. The FBI will be joined by two members of the state Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Speaking from South Africa, US Ambassador Donald Gips said the only point the Al-Shabaab showed is how out of touch they were with the path of history. Ambassador Gips called the al-Shabaab actions cowardly, coming in the wake of a successfully hosted World Cup on the African continent.
He expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and said that the US government stood with all those who wished to live in peace and security.
President Jacob Zuma has also condemned the attacks in the strongest possible terms, and called on those responsible to pursue their objectives in a dignified and peaceful manner.
"The government believes that, whatever reasons prompted the perpetrators of these deeds, does not justify the killing of innocent people," said Zuma.
