US warns of 'new terror threat'

The US has warned its citizens in Nordic and Baltic states of the threat of imminent attacks.

In a statement posted on the Finnish embassy website, the state department warns citizens to be vigilant, especially when using public transport.

A statement on the Latvian embassy website warns citizens to avoid crowded areas and transport hubs from Monday.

They do not provide further details or say whether the threat is linked to Tuesday's US presidential elections.

'Threat information'

"The US Department of State wishes to alert US citizens, either resident in or travelling through the Nordic/Baltic region, that it has received threat information," says the statement on the Helsinki embassy website.

It warns all citizens to "be vigilant as to their surroundings, especially in centres of ground-based mass transit, and to report any unusual or suspicious persons, incidents or circumstances to the nearest police authorities."

The statement on the Riga embassy website adds that "citizens are urged to avoid large shopping areas and transportation hubs on or about 1 November".

No further details are available at present.

The Nordic countries comprise Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland.

The Baltic states are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.