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New terror alerts threaten Asia
MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- A new round of terror alerts threatening attacks "within days" has led to the closure of embassies in the Philippines and to 24-hour patrols of Australian landmarks. Canada on Thursday joined Australia in closing its embassy in the Philippines until further notice, citing a specific threat of a terror attack. In Australia, guards were placed on round-the-clock watch near landmarks in Sydney, including the Harbor Bridge and Opera House, after Islamic extremists made threats on specific locations. The threats were time-specific suggesting attacks would happen in the next few days, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, said in Canberra on Thursday. While he refused to give out more details, Downer said an attack on the embassy in Manila could occur within days. Kidnapping dangersAustralia has been on an increased terror alert for more than a week, and authorities have kept travel alerts to a number of several Southeast Asians in place. (Travel warnings to stay) The country has been on terror watch after more than 180 people were killed when bombs tore through a nightspot area on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on October 12. About half of those killed were Australian tourists. As the threats show no sign of diminishing, Australians were advised on Thursday not to travel to the Philippines until further notice. Those already in the Southeast Asian nation were warned to be careful, particularly in coastal resorts, and to be alert to any kidnapping dangers. The Australian embassy in Singapore was also included in part of a thwarted terrorist bomb plot earlier this year. Australia was one of a list of U.S. allies named this month as possible targets for terrorist attacks in a tape attributed to Osama bin Laden. The tape said Australia had been warned against joining the assault on Afghanistan to hunt down bin Laden and punish his Taliban protectors, but it had ignored the warning until "it woke up to the sound of explosions in Bali." Australian Prime Minister John Howard has been one of the strongest supporters of the U.S.-led war on terrorism. It is not known if the terror threats on Australian soil and the Manila embassy threats are linked because the intelligence comes from different sources, Downer said. Canadians too
Meanwhile, Canada has closed its embassy in Manila and warned nationals not to travel to the Philippines, citing an upsurge in bombings. A number of terror groups, some with suspected links to al Qaeda, operate in the Philippines, and a series of deadly bombings, kidnappings and other attacks have targeted both the government and civilians. In the last month, the capital Manila has been hit by a spate of explosions. An explosion on a bus on October 18 killed three people and wounded many others. Earlier that day, a grenade was detonated in the Makati commercial area. On October 16, a bomb was discovered inside a passenger bus on the route from Manila to Laguna Province. The U.S. embassy in Manila was closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving holidays. -- CNN's Grant Holloway contributed to this report
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