How Somalian Militants Almost Blew Up Nigerians,Ethiopians

Two Somali men killed in a bomb blast were believed to have been plotting an attack in Ethiopia when they accidentally blew themselves up, Redwan Hussein, Ethiopia’s minister of information, said on Monday.

The explosion took place Sunday afternoon as thousands were gathering in the capital, Addis Ababa, to watch a World Cup qualifying soccer game between Ethiopia and Nigeria. Security officials found grenades, a revolver and explosives at the scene, Mr. Redwan said. He characterized it as a terrorist plot but said it was not yet clear who was behind it. The Shabab militant group, which claimed responsibility for last month’s attack on a Kenyan shopping mall, carried out a pair of bombings in Uganda during the broadcast of the World Cup final in 2010. Like Kenya and Uganda, Ethiopia has troops in Somalia. The two men killed in Sunday’s blast were in the country illegally, Mr. Redwan said. He said that the attackers had apparently intended to strike multiple targets but that the bombs had detonated unexpectedly before the men could execute their plan inside the National Stadium.