The United States yesterday warned that attacks similar to last month's Bali bombing which killed nearly 200 people could take place in other Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia.

In a public announcement, the State Department said it was worried that the Jemaah Islamiah (JI), a regional terror network suspected of a role in the Oct 12 Bali bombing, could target Westerners outside Indonesia.

"The State Department is concerned that attacks similar to the October 2002 terrorist bombings in Bali, Indonesia, may occur in other Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia," the US government said in a public announcement.

"JI and other extremist groups present in the region have demonstrated transnational capabilities to carry out attacks against locations where Westerners congregate," the warning said.

"Terrorist groups do not distinguish between official and civilian targets."

Beware of Abu Sayyaf

The department noted in the announcement that Malaysia, which is likely to be irritated by the warning, had already arrested over 70 JI members since the middle of last year.

The Department also reiterated its concern about the activities of the Abu Sayyaf group, which operates in the southern Philippines, close to Sabah.

It said Americans in the area should exercise extreme caution and be aware of the persistence of the threats from Abu Sayyaf.

The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for kidnapping and murdering US nationals over the past two years, and US troops have trained Philippine forces in special forces techniques to combat the rebels, who have been linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Southeast Asian governments, including Thailand, have taken unkindly to a sheaf of travel warnings issued by Western governments to their citizens over the last month, fearing their lucrative tourism industries could be at risk. AFP