THE US STATE DEPARTMENT has issued a worldwide  travel alert for American citizens until the end of this month, citing an unspecified threat from Al Qaeda.

Earlier the State Department announced it would be closing an unspecified number of embassies around the world this Sunday as a precautionary step but has stepped up security by issuing this alert today.

In an alert issued this afternoon, the State Department said: “Current information suggests that Al Qaeda and affiliated organisations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August.”

The alert said that US citizens should continue to be mindful of potential for terrorist attacks particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

The alert means that US citizens are encouraged to inform the Consular Section of their nearest US Embassy of their travel plans and, if travelling abroad, to enroll with its Smart Traveler Enrollment Programe (STEP).

STEP provides the latest security updates and makes it easier for a US consulate or embassy to contact a citizen in an emergency.

Read: US to close embassies on Sunday over unspecified security concerns