Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›North America›Man charged over bomb threat at US consulate in Halifax
Man charged over bomb threat at US consulate in Halifax
Authorities evacuated nearby streets after police found a car linked to the suspect, then lifted the evacuation after an explosives expert said the items posed no public threat.
Canadian police charged Ali Assakereh, 54, with making a bomb threat against the US consulate in Halifax, marking another security incident involving an American diplomatic post in Canada after two shootings in Toronto earlier this year, according to the SCMP Economy citing Associated Press reports.
Halifax Regional Police said multiple downtown streets were evacuated after they found a car linked to Assakereh parked near the consulate on Monday morning. Police reported the vehicle contained a propane tank and containers believed to hold flammable liquids.
Police said they learned of the threat on Sunday night and that Assakereh was scheduled to appear in provincial court on charges of uttering threats and public mischief. An explosives expert later determined the items in the vehicle posed no threat to public safety, and the evacuation was lifted Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the US embassy in Ottawa said US officials would not comment while the police investigation was ongoing, the report said, adding that the Halifax case follows two shootings at the US consulate in Toronto this year.