Israeli embassy evacuated
Islamist threat to strike Jewish, Israeli targets prompts foreign ministry to recall embassy staff
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Non-essential staff at the Israeli embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and their families have been instructed to leave the country owing to heightened security concerns.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday warned of potential terrorist attacks in Uzbekistan and gave permission for some if its embassy staff and their families to leave the country.
Last month a man carrying fake explosives was shot to death by security guards outside the Israeli embassy in Tashkent.
Violence that the authoritarian government of President Islam Karimov blames on Muslim extremists has roiled the former Soviet republic since 2004. It came to a head this year when militants stormed a jail, released prisoners and became embroiled in battle with government security personnel.
Thursday's State Department statement named the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, al-Qaida, the Islamic Jihad Union and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement as among the groups active in the region.
