WASHINGTON, August 2 The United States today issued a worldwide travel alert, warning US citizens about the “continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa”.

In a statement, the State Department said current information suggested al Qaeda and its affiliates continued to plan terrorist attacks in the Middle East and beyond, and might concentrate those efforts in August.

A US official said the alert was based on the same intelligence information that prompted US embassy closures for this Sunday. — Reuters