"Be vigilant in shopping malls" Terrorists call for attacks in the west and in Jordan

Last week, the head of Homeland Security was urging shoppers to be vigilant after al-Shabaab, a terror group tied to al-Qaeda, named Mall of America among potential targets for attacks.

The Secretary of Homeland Security warned shoppers at Minnesota's iconic Mall of America and similar venues to be vigilant in the wake of new terrorist threats.

"I'm not telling people to not go to the mall," Secretary Jeh Johnson said Sunday on NBC's Meet The Press. "I think that there needs to be an awareness."

Hours later, department spokeswoman Marsha Catron said in a statement, "We are not aware of any specific, credible plot against the Mall of America or any other domestic commercial shopping center.''

Mall of America heightened security after a video threatening a terror attack was released purportedly by a Somali militant group with ties to al-Qaeda. The group, al-Shabaab, took responsibility for an attack in 2013 at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that left more than 60 people dead.

The Mall of America, among the largest shopping malls in the world, employs more than 12,000 people at more than 500 stores and 50 restaurants. It is the world's busiest mall, bringing in more than 40 million visitors annually.

Mall officials issued a statement saying they take any potential threat seriously.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Sunday saying U.S. officials were aware of the call for "Westgate-style" attacks against shopping malls in the USA and elsewhere.

The statement said Homeland Security and the FBI have been working closely with state and local authorities in recent months to "prevent and mitigate these types of threats."

Al-Shabaab, based in southern Somalia, was declared a terror organization under U.S. law in 2008. The group, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012, took responsibility for an attack Friday targeting government ministers at a Mogadishu hotel. The attack killed 25.

In 2013, an al-Shabaab video bragged about successes at recruiting Somalis from Minnesota to fight for their case. Minneapolis has a large Somali community.

Jordan takes the threats seriously

The US embassy in Jordan’s capital, Amman, has warned American citizens against visiting the country’s posh shopping malls after receiving “credible information” that they may be targeted by terrorists.

“Extremist groups have repeatedly expressed interest in attacking so-called soft targets, such as malls and restaurants, in Jordan,” the US embassy said in a statement. "The US Embassy has received information of a potential threat against high-end malls in Amman."

Amman has recently stepped up its role in the US-led military campaign against Islamic State (also known as ISIS, or ISIL) in Syria after the jihadists burnt alive captured Jordanian pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh and released a video showing his grisly death.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II called the killing of the pilot an act of "cowardly terror," adding that IS "had nothing in common with true Islam."

The country has promised an "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" response to the killing and has executed two convicted Islamist terrorists, including the Al-Qaeda would-be suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi.

The US Embassy described the threat to the shopping centers in the country as “credible,” but added that “the possible time frame 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,” the statement said.

Last week, Somali Islamist militant group Al Shabaab released a video threatening to attack malls inside the US and UK.

With thanks to USA Today and RT for the information we used to compile this update for you.

Photo: Jordanians shop. (Reuters/Muhammad Hamed)