U.S. Says Its Embassy in Jordan May Be a Terrorist Target

The U.S. Embassy here announced Thursday that it may be the target of a terrorist attack and warned U.S. citizens in the Arab kingdom to be vigilant.

A message on the embassy’s Web site said the U.S. government “has information concerning terrorist targeting” of the facility.

“We have no indication that the threat is reliable, but the embassy and the State Department in Washington believe that such warning may dissuade plotters against undertaking any action,” said a senior Jordanian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Embassy officials were not immediately available for comment, but in Washington, State Department spokesman Philip T. Reeker said the agency was “taking the threat very seriously” although no staff had been sent home.

There was no sign of increased security Thursday at the embassy. A police vehicle equipped with a machine gun was parked as usual by the front gate of the massive compound, which is popularly known as “the fortress.”

The warning said it could not rule out other possible targets in the country, and it urged Americans traveling or residing in Jordan to “exercise prudence and . . . review their security practices, and to remain alert to changing situations.”

The embassy warning is at: https://usembassy-amman.org.jo/06ward.html.