The US State Department has issued a fresh travel warning for Americans travelling to Europe, saying they should be vigilant of possible terror attacks in cities throughout the continent.
“While local governments continue counter-terrorism operations, the Department nevertheless remains concerned about the potential for future terrorist attacks,” the department said in a statement on Monday.
“US citizens should always be alert to the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or self-radicalized extremists may conduct attacks with little or no warning,” it added.
The warning points out to the recent terror-related incidents in France, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom, mostly blamed on Daesh-affiliated groups.
The previous travel alert for Europe expired in February, the State Department maintained. It added that the latest alert was not prompted by a specific threat and was merely reflecting the continuing risk of attacks especially ahead of summer holidays.
The travel alert will expire on September 1.
According to the statement, malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, airports and other locations are all possible targets for attacks.
The last time Washington issued a worldwide travel alert was in December 2014 and warned of the risk of “lone-wolf” attacks following a terror incident in Sydney, Australia.
The new alert comes just a few days before the second round of presidential election in France, where Francois Fillon, a front running candidate was the target of an intended attack that was foiled last month.
Recent estimates from Europe and the US say as many as 1,900 "foreign fighters" have returned to Europe after stints in Iraq and Syria. Some remain committed to terror groups like Daesh, but others returned disenchanted.
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