RIYADH, Aug 8: Australia and Britain Monday warned that terror attacks could be imminent in Saudi Arabia, following a US move to temporarily close its missions in the country that pushed oil prices to record levels. The spate of warnings over possible militant strikes came just days into the reign of newly enthroned King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz over the world’s top oil exporter, which has been battling violence for two years.

“We have received credible reports that terrorists are planning attacks in Saudi Arabia in the near future,” said a statement by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs posted on the website of Canberra’s embassy in Riyadh.

“Terrorist attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh,” it said.

“This follows other recent reporting suggesting that terrorists may be planning to attack residential housing compounds in Saudi Arabia,” it added, advising Australians to defer non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia.

Its warnings were echoed by Britain — along with Australia a close ally of Washington in Iraq — which said it has “credible reports” that extremists were in the “final stages” of planning attacks in Saudi Arabia.

“There are credible reports that terrorists are in the final stages of planning attacks,” said the Foreign Office in an update of its advice to travellers to Saudi Arabia, posted on its Internet site.

“There is a continuing high threat of terrorism in Saudi Arabia,” it said.

“We continue to believe that terrorists are planning further attacks, including against Westerners and places associated with Westerners in Saudi Arabia.”

The Foreign Office said that despite the success of Saudi security forces in capturing suspected terrorists and intercepting weapons caches, aircraft and airports remained a “possible target”.

The warning from London came about a month after the July 7 attacks on three subway trains and a double-decker bus in London.

It also came a day after Saudi officials revealed that their security apparatus had warned its British counterpart of possible attacks, few months before the London bombings.

On Sunday, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia said its premises in Riyadh and two consulates elsewhere in the kingdom will be shut for two days in response to an unspecified threat.

“In response to a threat against US government buildings in the kingdom the US embassy in Riyadh and the US consulates general in Jeddah and Dhahran will be closed on August 8 and 9,” it said, without providing further details.

“American citizens are advised to exercise caution and maintain good situational awareness when visiting commercial establishments frequented by Westerners or in primarily Western environments,” it added.

The US mission in Riyadh warned on July 20 that terrorists could strike again in Saudi Arabia which has been rocked by a spate of bloody attacks attributed to Al-Qaeda terror militants in the past two years.—AFP