U.S. warns of possible retaliation attacks following al-Awlaki's death

U.S. warns of possible retaliation attacks following al-Awlaki's death

2011-10-03 05:51:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. government issued a travel alert this weekend to alert Americans to the potential threat of retaliation attacks following the death of senior al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki.

U.S.-born radical Islamic preacher Anwar al-Awlaki was among a number of al-Qaeda members who were killed on Friday morning in an airstrike near the Yemeni town of Khashef in Al Jawf governorate. Samir Khan, one of the editors of al-Qaeda's English-language online magazine, was also killed.

An alert from the U.S. State Department said the death of Awlaki could, in the near term, provide motivation for anti-American attacks worldwide from individuals or groups seeking to retaliate. "Awlaki's standing as a preeminent English-language advocate of violence could potentially trigger anti-American acts worldwide to avenge his death," the warning said.

Hours after the airstrike, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly also warned of possible revenge attacks. "We know al-Awlaki had followers in the United States including New York City, and for that reason we remain alert to the possibility that someone might want to avenge his death," Kelly said on Friday.

The U.S. State Department also issued a worldwide travel alert in May following the death of global al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The new travel alert expires on November 30.

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