Defense department warns U.S. citizens of possible terror attack in South Africa

By Daniel Uria

The United States warned of a potential terrorist attack on areas of South Africa commonly populated by U.S. citizens. The United States Diplomatic Mission to South Africa released a message warning that the U.S. government had received information regarding terrorist attacks on locations such as upscale shopping areas and malls in Cape Town (pictured) and Johannesburg. Photo by davide guidolin/Shutterstock

The U.S. Embassy in South Africa released a security message on Saturday warning U.S. citizens of a potential terror attack.
The message shared by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in South Africa warns against potential "near-term attacks" in places where U.S. citizens might congregate in the country.

Listed among these places are upscale shopping areas and malls in major South African cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town.
According to the message, the U.S. government received information about potential attacks related to a public call by the Islamic State to carry out terrorist attacks during Ramadan, which begins June 5.