US Security Chief Warns Shoppers After Terror Threat

BBC AMERICA: US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has urged people to be vigilant following a terror threat to Western shopping centres, including one of America's largest malls.

He said he took the threat by the Somali-based group al-Shabab seriously.

In a video, the group urged followers to carry out attacks on shopping centres in the US, Canada and the UK.

Al-Shabab was responsible for the 2013 attack on Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people.

Mr Johnson told CNN that the threat was part of "a new phase" of terrorism in which attacks would increasingly come from "independent actors in their homelands".

"Anytime a terrorist organisation calls for an attack on a specific place, we've got to take that seriously," he said.

In the video, a man with a British-sounding accent and full face covering calls on supporters of al-Shabab to attack "American or Jewish-owned" Western shopping centres. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, February 22, 2015

Al-Shabaab Calls for Attacks on Oxford Street and Westfield Centres in New Terror Threat

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Somalia-based terror group releases video threatening some of the world's busiest shopping areas

Islamist terrorists have called for attacks on London’s Oxford Street and the Westfield shopping centres in the latest jihadist threat to the UK.

A video released by the Somalia-based fanatics al-Shabaab called on its followers to “hasten to heaven” by attacking some of the country’s busiest shopping areas.

It also threatened venues in America and Canada as well as “Jewish-owned” centres.

Counter-terrorism police in the UK were assessing the video while the head of US homeland security warned shoppers to be “particularly careful”.

The video, which lasts more than an hour and was released over the weekend, centred o[n] the fall out from al-Shabaab’s attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya in 2013 that left 62 people dead and more than 100 injured.

A terrorist dressed in army fatigues and his face covered then warned: “Can you imagine what a dedicated mujahideen (soldier) in the West could do to the American and Jewish-owned shopping centres across the world.” » | Tom Whitehead, and Peter Foster | Sunday, February 22, 2015