US embassy issues terrorism warning for street in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR - The US embassy in Malaysia warned American citizens on Thursday to avoid a popular tourist street in the capital Kuala Lumpur because of "credible threat information regarding a potential terrorist act".

The embassy website issued the security warning for Jalan Alor, a street in the popular tourist distict of Bukit Bintang, and the immediate surrounding areas.

Malaysian police officials could not immediately be reached for comment. However, local media said police had increased patrols in Jalan Alor and surrounding areas.

The threat was linked to the arrests of several militants connected to Islamic State in the past month, The Malaysian Insider news portal reported, quoting police sources.