WASHINGTON, Jan 20: The United States police has launched investigation into a potential threat involving a Somali insurgent group in connection with the inauguration of Barack Obama as US president, authorities said on Tuesday.

The threat concerned an unspecified incident involving the Al Shabaab group, authorities said, but the Homeland Security Department said its credibility was uncertain.

“The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security ... and the intelligence community are coordinating with other law enforcement authorities to investigate and analyse recently received information about a potential threat on inauguration day,” department spokesman Russ Knocke said.

“This information is of limited specificity and uncertain credibility,” he said.

The FBI and Homeland Security Department told law enforcement around the United States of the potential threat on Monday, authorities said.

The United States had been tracking the Al Shabaab-related threat for several days, a security official said.

The bulletin was part of regular efforts to keep local officials aware of security developments. There was no change to the overall threat level, the department said.

The Somali group is on the US list of terrorist groups.

It has primarily acted in the violence-wracked Muslim East

African country, but US intelligence officials have recently expressed concern about young Somalis living in the United States who have gone to train with Al Shabaab.

Obama’s transition team had been briefed on the threat warning, Knocke said.—Reuters