US warns of 'credible' terrorism threat to Amman malls

The United States has told its citizens in Jordan to avoid high-end shopping centres in the capital Amman due to a "credible, potential" threat of attack.

The US embassy in Amman said on Wednesday evening that its employees and their families had been instructed to avoid the shopping centres as a precaution, and asked private citizens to do the same.

"Extremist groups have repeatedly expressed interest in attacking so-called soft targets, such as malls and restaurants," the embassy said in a statement.

The threat is judged to be credible, although the possible timeframe and type of threat are unknown. - US embassy in Amman

"The threat is judged to be credible, although the possible timeframe and type of threat are unknown.

"US citizens should expect to see an increased security presence at such establishments throughout Jordan, and especially in Amman."

'Relentless war'

The warning comes after Jordan increased its role in a US-led alliance attacking the Islamic State group in Syria, in reponse to the IS group murdering Moaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian pilot it was holding hostage, on 3 February.

Jordan's king, Abdullah, promised to wage a "relentless war" against the group, and vowed that the "blood of the martyr Moaz will not be shed in vain".

"We are waging this war to protect our faith, our values and human principles, and our war for their sake will be relentless and will hit them on their own ground," state TV quoted the king as saying, a day after Kassasbeh's death.

The US warning also comes days after the Somali-based al-Shabaab group called on supporters to target shopping centres in the US, the UK and Canada.

Intelligence agencies in all three countries said they were taking the threat seriously.

Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, killed 67 people in an attack on the Westfield shopping centre in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, in September 2013.