UPDATE 1 -- Interpol issues global security alert over al-Qaeda plot, prison breakouts

[News_Editor]

LYON, FRANCE (BNO NEWS) -- The international police agency Interpol issued a global security alert on Saturday, urging increased vigilance in the wake of jailbreaks across nine countries and intelligence reports indicating that al-Qaeda may be plotting to carry out a terrorist attack in the coming weeks.

The French-based police agency issued the global security alert to its 190 member states on Saturday. It said its 24-hour Command and Coordination Center and other specialized units are prioritizing all information and intelligence in relation to both the suspected al-Qaeda terror plot and recent prison breakouts in nine countries.

"INTERPOL is asking its member countries to closely follow and swiftly process any information linked to these events and the escaped prisoners," Interpol said in a statement. "They are also requested to alert the relevant member country and INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent another terrorist attack."

The global security alert came less than a day after the U.S. government said al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations are believed to be plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the coming weeks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. The U.S. State Department also issued a worldwide travel alert for U.S. citizens abroad and instructed embassies around the world to close on Sunday as a precaution.

Jailbreaks took place in nine countries in recent weeks, including Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. The most serious jailbreak occurred at Koyfiya prison near the city of Benghazi in eastern Libya, allowing as many as 1,200 inmates to escape as protesters stormed political party offices following the killing of an activist.

Another jailbreak happened at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, where suspected al-Qaeda militants launched a massive assault that resulted in up to 600 prisoners, many of them believed to be al-Qaeda operatives, escaping from the facility. A second attack occurred at another prison near Baghdad, but no prisoners were able to escape.

In northwest Pakistan, heavily-armed Taliban militants were able to free 252 prisoners during their assault on a prison in the town of Dera Ismail Khan. Police later said that at least 47 of the prisoners, the vast majority of them believed to be Taliban militants, were re-captured just hours after the jailbreak that also resulted in at least 13 people being killed.

Interpol said it suspects al-Qaeda involvement in at least several of the breakouts and asked member states to help determine whether some of the jailbreaks were coordinated or linked. "The Interpol alert requests the Organization's 190 member countries' assistance in order to determine whether any of these recent events are coordinated or linked," it said.

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[Scott]

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