US issues worldwide travel alert
The US has issued a worldwide travel alert due to fears of an al-Qa’ida attack during August.
The Department of State said the threat was particularly strong in the Middle East and North Africa, possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula.
"Current information suggests that al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," it said.
At the same time, the US closed 21 embassies in the Middle East and North Africa. They are expected to remain closed until Saturday. It told the BBC the closures were out of "an abundance of caution" rather than related to any specific threat.
Its travel alert expires on August 31.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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