Ethiopia's state news agency says 15 people have been arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa, over a plot to attack the United Arab Emirates' embassy.

It said that arms, explosives and documents had been seized.

The leader of the group, 35 year-old Thiold Ali Ahmed Ardayto, was also arrested, a statement from the the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is quoted as saying.

The statement said there was "clear evidence" that the group had been "planning, conducting research and gathering information" to carry out the attack.

It also accused the group of planning a similar attack on the UAE embassy in Khartoum, Sudan.