U.S. evacuates staff from consulate in Pakistan’s Lahore

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, was closed on Friday, Aug 9 and all workers except emergency staffers ordered to evacuate, amid receipt of “specific threats,” a spokeswoman said, according to The Washington Times.

The State Department also issued a warning for all Americans in the country to be on high alert. “Terrorist groups continue to seek opportunities to attack locations where U.S. citizens and Westerners are known to congregate or visit,” the statement said.

The majority of U.S. diplomats and staffers are based at the Lahore office, NBC reported.

“As a precautionary measure, we are undertaking a drawdown of all except emergency personnel,” U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Megan Gregonis said.

She did not indicate when the facility would reopen. And another government spokesperson said this threat — while not specified to the press — was different in tone than previous ones that have evacuated and closed 19 U.S. diplomatic posts in the Middle East region in recent days.