Tightened security at airport, maritime ports following Interpol warning

A meeting of the heads of security forces in Malta took place to discuss the international warning issued by Interpol on Al Qaeda.

The high-profile meeting was led by national security minister Manuel Mallia during which it was established that security must be tightened in crucial areas such as the airport and maritime ports.

Interpol's global security alert follows a series of Al Qaeda's prison breakouts in which hundreds of terrorists escaped.

The warning came a day after the US state department issued a worldwide travel warning to American citizens and closed 21 of its embassies over intelligence suggesting that the terrorist network was planning attacks during August. Britain is closing its embassy in Yemen for two days due to increased security concerns.

In a statement issued from its headquarters in Lyon, France, Interpol urged countries around the world to show "increased vigilance", following prison breakouts over the past month in nine countries, including Iraq, Libya and Pakistan.

"With suspected al-Qaida involvement in several of the breakouts which led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists and other criminals, the Interpol alert requests the organisation's 190 member countries' assistance in order to determine whether any of these recent events are co-ordinated or linked," the international police agency said.

"Interpol is asking its member countries to closely follow and swiftly process any information linked to these events and the escaped prisoners. They are also requested to alert the relevant member country and Interpol general secretariat headquarters if any escaped terrorist is located or intelligence developed which could help prevent another terrorist attack."