U.S. issues alert for citizens in Kenya over possible terror attack

The United States Thursday warned its citizens in Kenya of possible terror attack in Nairobi County.

The US embassy in capital Nairobi said that terrorist groups could stage an attack with little or no warning, targeting areas with many people.

The alert indicates that high traffic areas frequented by foreigners and tourists in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya as target for the terror groups.

“Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists,” the embassy said in a statement.

In line with the US alert, the United Kingdom in its periodic updates on travel advice cautioned its nationals to be extremely vigilant in the areas mentioned in the US advisory.

On February 9, the US Embassy issued an alert saying that “locations frequented by U.S. citizens and other foreigners and tourists in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya continue to be attractive targets to terrorists planning to conduct potentially imminent attacks… The government of Kenya has increased counter-terrorism patrols,” said the UK statement.

Both countries urged their citizens to exercise vigilance at locations frequented by tourists/foreigners, to review their personal security plans, to be aware of their surroundings, and to monitor local media for updates.