18 February,2011 04:19 PM IST | | AFP
The United States on Thursday urged its citizens to be extra vigilant about terror risks if they are in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during the cricket World Cup.
"While the US government has no specific threat information regarding the Cricket World Cup, large, high-profile events of this nature can be targets for terrorist attacks," the State Department warned.
It advised Americans planning to visit the three countries during the World Cup from February 19 until April 2 to consult the State Department's travel website for country specific information.
"Travelers should pay particular attention at this time to the information on safety and security, crime, scams, traffic safety, and road conditions," the State Department said.
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"US citizens should maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security," it added.
It urged Americans to monitor country news and consider security levels "when visiting public places, including religious sites, or choosing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and recreation and sporting venues."
Advising Americans to read the State Department's January 31 Worldwide Caution, it urged them to be aware of "the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against US citizens and interests throughout the world."
In March last year, the team bus carrying Sri Lanka's Test team was attacked in the Pakistani city of Lahore. Eight people were killed and seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach were injured.
The attacks forced the International Cricket Council to remove Pakistan as a co-host of the World Cup.
In February 2010, the Hong Kong-based Asia Times Online news website had reported that it had received a warning from Al-Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri about attacking sports events in India.
The Pakistan-based extremist reportedly warned competitors against going to the hockey World Cup, the IPL and the Commonwealth Games in October.
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