US security chief warns shoppers after Al Shabab issues terror threats against western shopping malls

United States Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has asked people to be more "vigilant" while shopping in the wake of terror threats to Western shopping malls, a report said.

His statement followed the release of a propaganda video by Somalia-based Al Shabab, in which the group urged supporters to attack "American or Jewish-owned" shopping centres in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, reported the BBC.

The video specifically named Minnesota's Mall of America, the second-largest U.S. shopping centre, and Canada's West Edmonton Mall, as well as London's Oxford Street and the U.K. capital's two Westfield shopping centres. Co-ordinates for the various targets were listed on the screen as they were described.

Johnson said that the threat was part of a "new phase" of terrorism where attacks would increasingly come from "independent actors in their homelands."

He added that the terror threat was being taken "seriously."

The U.K. police said that they were aware of the video and were assessing its contents.

Al Shabab carried out the 2013 attack on Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that killed 67 people.

The report said that the video may be part of rivalry between Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab and the Islamic State (IS), which has dominated the social media platform recently.