US issues alert on ‘terror attack’ in South Africa — days after warning on Nigeria

The US government has issued a security alert warning its citizens about the possibility of terror attacks in South Africa.

In the alert posted on its embassy website on Wednesday, the US said it received information that terrorists may be planning to attack large gatherings of people in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Saturday.

The US advised its citizens to avoid large gatherings in the named area.

“The US government has received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg, South Africa, on 29 October 2022,” the alert reads.

“There is no further information regarding the timing, method, or target of the potential attack.

“The US embassy has advised staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg during the weekend of October 29-30 2022.”

On Sunday, the US warned its citizens in Nigeria about possible terror attacks in parts of the country.

It said the federal capital territory (FCT) stands a high risk of attack, and that terrorists may target government buildings, places of worship, schools and markets.

However, the Department of State Services (DSS) has called for calm over the alert on the likelihood of attacks in Nigeria, adding that security agencies are taking measures to ensure safety.