Washington, Dec 09: The US State Department asked Americans to defer non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia,saying there was a potential for new terrorist attacks against US citizens abroad. "The US government continues to receive indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and western interests, including the targeting of transportation and civil aviation," the department said in a travel warning. It said American citizens in Saudi Arabia should remain vigilant, particularly in public places associated with the western community. The warning followed an order issued to US diplomats in Riyadh over the weekend that forbade them to venture out of the city`s diplomatic quarters unless for "essential business."
A car bomb ravaged the al-Muhaya residential compound in western Riyadh last month, killing 17 people and wounding more than 120, most of them Arab expatriates.

On May 12, 35 people, including eight Americans, were killed in a triple suicide bombing at Seder village.
"Credible information indicates that terrorists continue to target residential compounds in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Riyadh area, but also compounds throughout the country," the state department said in its latest warning. Bureau Report