The Somali authorities say they arrested a plane passenger last month who may have been carrying similar explosives to those used by the Nigerian man who attempted to bomb a US-bound flight on Christmas Day.

Last month's suspected Somali terrorist attempted to board a plane in Mogadishu which was bound for Dubai via Djibouti. At the security check, he was found to be hiding a syringe and suspicious liquid and powder.

The substances are being investigated to find out if they are potential explosives. The Somali authorities report that United States investigators are looking into the possibility the Mogadishu incident was connected to the failed Christmas Day attack on the transatlantic plane.