TSA orders additional screening for Middle East airline cargo

US authorities have ordered commercial airlines from five Middle East countries to provide enhanced screening of cargo for flights bound for the US.

The Transportation Security Administration said the strengthened security measures are necessary to combat ‘persistent threats to aviation.’

It impacts Egypt Air, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad.

It said Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates ‘demonstrated intent by terrorists groups to attack aviation from them.’

However the TSA said some of the airlines already carry out the enhanced screening measures on a voluntary basis.

The rules give the TSA and Customs and Border Patrol more information about the cargo before it is loaded and shipped and any items flagged by the TSA and CBP will go through a secondary inspection.

A TSA official told CBS News the updated rules haven’t been prompted by any specific threat.

"Anomaly detection is the bottom line here. This helps us track those anomalies."

"In close coordination with CBP, I directed specific carriers to implement strict security requirements based upon recent information that established a need to implement additional security measures for air cargo bound to the United States, on both passenger and cargo aircraft," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.