A video purported to be made by Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked rebel group al-Shabaab urged Muslims to attack shopping malls in the US, Canada, Britain and other Western nations.
US authorities said there was “no credible” evidence suggesting a US mall attack was in the works.
The threat by the al-Qaeda affiliate came in the final minutes of a more than hour-long video released on Saturday in which the extremists also warned Kenya of more attacks like the assault on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in September 2013 when 67 people were killed.
The masked narrator concluded by calling on Muslims to attack shopping malls, specifically naming the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, as well as the West Edmonton Mall in Canada and the Westfield Mall in Stratford, England.
The authenticity of the video could not be immediately verified by The Associated Press.
The FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided local law enforcement agencies and private sector partners with “relevant information regarding the recent al-Shabaab propaganda video,” department press secretary Marsha Catron said in a statement.
“However, we are not aware of any specific, credible plot against the Mall of America or any other domestic commercial shopping center,” Catron said.
The Bloomington Police Department said additional security measures had been put in place at the Mall of America, one of the largest malls in the nation.
Speaking on CNN, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson called the video “the new phase” of the global terrorist threat and warned the public to be vigilant.
“These groups are relying more and more on independent actors to become inspired, drawn to the cause and they’ll attack on their own,” Johnson said. “I am very concerned about serious potential threats of independent actors here in the US. We’ve seen this now in Europe, we’ve seen this in Canada.”
Asked about the specific threat against the Mall of America, Johnson said: “Any time a terrorist organization calls for an attack on a specific place we’ve got to take that seriously. What we’re telling the public is you’ve got to be vigilant... There will be enhanced security there that will be apparent, but public vigilance, public awareness and public caution in situations like this is particularly important.”
In the video posted online, a masked man, his face wrapped in a black-and-white kaffiyeh-type scarf and wearing a camouflage jacket, said: “Westgate was just the beginning.”
The video included footage from major news organizations showing the assault on the mall and said it was in reprisal for alleged abuses by Kenyan troops against Muslims in Somalia.
“What if such an attack were to occur in the Mall of America in Minnesota, or the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, or in London’s Oxford Street?” said the man, who spoke with a British accent and appeared to be of Somalian origin.
The Mall of America said in a statement that it was “aware of a threatening video, which includes a mention and images of the mall,” and said extra security had been put in place.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton was monitoring the situation and has been in regular contact with the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which is coordinating with federal and local law enforcement agencies and the Mall of America “to assure the safety of all Minnesotans,” a statement released by the governor’s press secretary Matt Swenson said.
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