US, Canada Bracing for Possible Al Shabaab Terrorist Attack on Malls

On Saturday, Al Shabaab posted a propaganda video, urging for attacks on three shopping centers in the United States, Canada and Britain.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The United States and Canada are tightening security measures in light of the Somali Islamist militant group Al Shabaab's recent video, calling for terrorist attacks on shopping centers, CNN reported Sunday.

A law enforcement official told CNN that there was no threat to any mall in the United States.

"We take any potential threat seriously and respond appropriately. We have implemented extra security precautions, some may be noticeable to guests and others won't be," the Minnesota Mall of America said in a statement after it was mentioned in the video as a target.

Canadian West Edmonton Mall, another shopping center mentioned in the video, also stated it was enforcing extra security, working with the country's law enforcement agencies.

"If anyone is planning to go to the Mall of America today, they've got to be particularly careful," US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson told CNN.

In the video, the militants mentioned their 2013 attack on the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Some 67 people were killed and 175 sought medical assistance.

Most recently, the al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for this month's terrorist bombing in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, which killed several government officials.