The United States has renewed its terrorism alert for East Africa, warning of possible attacks at a time of surging maritime piracy throughout the region, the US embassy in Kenya said Tuesday.
The advisory, issued by the State Department in Washington, reminds US citizens that Islamic extremists are active and may be plotting attacks in East Africa, which has seen three deadly strikes claimed by al-Qaeda since 1998.
”This [alert] is being re-issued to remind Americans of the continuing potential for terrorist actions against US citizens in East Africa, particularly along the East African coast,” it said.
”A small number of al-Qaeda operatives and other extremists are believed to be operating in and around East Africa,” the department said, adding that travel to the region should be carefully considered in view of the threat.
The alert, which replaces an existing November 18 warning, was released on Friday and re-issued by the US embassy in Nairobi on Tuesday.
East Africa has been the site of several al-Qaeda-linked terrorist attacks over the past seven years, including the near simultaneous bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998.
In November 2002, al-Qaeda-affiliated attackers bombed an Israeli-owned resort hotel near the Kenyan port city of Mombasa and unsuccessfully attempted to shoot down an Israeli airliner there with rockets on the same day.
Those incidents prompted terrorism alerts and travel warnings from foreign countries, including the US, who fear anarchic Somalia is becoming a haven for groups such as al-Qaeda.
Fierce fighting is currently underway in Mogadishu between Islamic militia believed to be harbouring al-Qaeda operatives and an alliance of warlords formed with US support in February to curb the growing influence of radical Islam.
In addition, at least 42 attacks on commercial ships off the Somali coast have been recorded since mid-March last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. — AFP
