U.S. And British Embassies Warn Of Possible Terror Attack Against Westerners In Beijing

0
480

The U.S. and British embassies have issued a warning about a possible terror attack targeting ‘Westerners’ in Beijing.

The U.S. Embassy said it had ‘received information of possible threats’ against Westerners in Sanlitun on or around Christmas Day, as Beijing police tightened security in the area.

The French and Australian embassies also warned it’s citizens to be wary in Sanlitun, a busy shopping and nightlife district that is also home to many embassies.

Dozens of police, some with rifles are currently standing on guard in the area – an unusual measure as regular police do not tend to be armed in public.

40f9192d326c120472e7c6e57986e4cc

Roads leading into the embassy area have been closed to traffic and photos on social media show a heightened police presence in front of a Sanlitun shopping centre home to major international brands.

They also showed a camouflage van surrounded by men armed with rifles wearing fatigues in a plaza near one of Beijing’s two embassy districts.

The city’s police department issued a yellow alert Thursday, the second level in a four-tier system, according to a post on its social media account.

A yellow alert is issued when authorities have information about a significant and approaching threat to public security, state media said. They can relate to natural disasters as well as issues linked to social order.

The alert, expected to last through New Year, would ‘ensure good social order during the upcoming holidays’, police said, adding that it was due to ‘the gradual increase of shopping promotions, celebrations and entertainment activities’.

Read More: U.S. Warns of ‘Possible Threats’ to Westerners in Beijing

Facebook Comments