US State Department Issues Europe Travel Alert

The US State Department on Monday issued a “Europe Travel Alert” for American citizens, informing them on the “continued threat of terrorist attacks” throughout Europe.

“Recent, widely-reported incidents in France, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom demonstrate that the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS or Da’esh), al-Qa’ida, and their affiliates have the ability to plan and execute terrorist attacks in Europe,” the State Department said in an announcement.

According to the warning, terrorists persist in employing a variety of tactics, including firearms, explosives, using vehicles as ramming devices, and sharp-edged weapons that are difficult to detect prior to an attack.

“Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities as viable targets. In addition, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, high-profile events, educational institutions, airports, and other soft targets remain priority locations for possible attacks.  U.S. citizens should exercise additional vigilance in these and similar locations, in particular during the upcoming summer travel season when large crowds may be common,” the announcement reads.

The State Department advises American citizens traveling between countries in Europe, to check the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the destination city for any recent security messages.

“We continue to work closely with our European partners and allies on the threat from international terrorism,” the announcement said.

The travel alert expires on September 1, 2017.