The United States Department of State has announced that 18 of the embassies, which had been shut down following security threats, will reopen on Sunday except the consulates of Yemen and Lahore.
The US Department of State had earlier this month closed its embassies and consulates in several countries citing security reasons and issued worldwide travel alert to its citizens, warning them of a possible terror attack in the month of August, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. [Read Travel Alert]
"On Sunday, August 11, the Department of State will re-open 18 of the 19 embassies and consulates that were closed recently. Our embassy in Sanaa, Yemen will remain closed because of ongoing concerns about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks emanating from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Our consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, which closed yesterday due to a separate credible threat to that facility, will also remain closed," said the official statement by spokesman Jen Psaki.
"We will continue to evaluate the threats to Sanaa and Lahore and make subsequent decisions about the re-opening of those facilities based on that information."
The official statement concluded on a note of precaution to its citizens: "We will also continue to evaluate information about these and all of our posts and to take appropriate steps to best protect the safety of our personnel, American citizens traveling overseas, and visitors to our facilities."
Yemen and Lahore are on the top priority list of the US, as the regions are terror prone.
Yemen has been subject to threats from Al-Qaeda based on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and President Barrack Obama voiced a similar concern at a news conference on Friday.
"We still have these regional organizations like AQAP that can pose a threat. Regional militants can "drive, potentially, a truck bomb into an embassy wall and can kill some people," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Obama as saying.
Lahore consulate remaining closed with reports of its staff being evacuated on Thursday is a clear indication of US not taking up any chances and the closure would act as a warning for the US tourists to avoid the country.
Even though the official statement didn't give detail on Lahore consulate closure citing only as 'a credible threat', the assumed terror activities, which has put the Americans on guard, is the Punjabi militants who are being trained at the Al- Qaeda camps.
