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US withdraws diplomats from Lahore consulate in Pakistan | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The US has ordered all non-essential government personnel to leave its consulate-general in the Pakistani city of Lahore. | The US has ordered all non-essential government personnel to leave its consulate-general in the Pakistani city of Lahore. |
A senior State Department official said the move was in response to a "credible threat" to the consulate. | A senior State Department official said the move was in response to a "credible threat" to the consulate. |
US personnel remaining in Lahore should limit non-essential travel within the country, the official said. | US personnel remaining in Lahore should limit non-essential travel within the country, the official said. |
On Thursday, the US issued a travel warning advising all US citizens to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan. | On Thursday, the US issued a travel warning advising all US citizens to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan. |
"We are undertaking this drawdown due to concerns about credible threat information specific to the US Consulate in Lahore," the official said. | "We are undertaking this drawdown due to concerns about credible threat information specific to the US Consulate in Lahore," the official said. |
"An updated travel warning has also been issued," the statement said, adding that "US citizens remaining in Lahore... should limit non-essential travel within the country, be aware of their surroundings whether in their residences or moving about, [and] make their own contingency emergency plans." | "An updated travel warning has also been issued," the statement said, adding that "US citizens remaining in Lahore... should limit non-essential travel within the country, be aware of their surroundings whether in their residences or moving about, [and] make their own contingency emergency plans." |
The US has closed 19 diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa this week in response to what it said was a threat of a terrorist attack. | |
The evacuation from Lahore was undertaken as a precaution and was not related to the closure of the other diplomatic missions, AP news agency reported, citing two unnamed US officials. | |
The Pakistani authorities have been holding the capital on a state of high alert, especially key Pakistan government installations, the BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, reports. | |
Britain has travel warnings in place for Pakistan but these are for specific locations not including Lahore or the capital, our correspondent adds. |