Below is a "worldwide" alert, people be careful anything can happen anytime, anywhere

A global travel alert issued Friday by the State Department said al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks, and the U.S. government prepared to close embassies and consulates in the region Sunday as a precaution.

The steps showed the heightened concerns about what U.S. officials said was intelligence in recent days that indicated a potential attack emanating from al Qaeda in Yemen.

Britain's Foreign Office warned against travel to Yemen and advised British citizens to leave the country, while a senior Yemeni national security official told CNN that the government was "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come."

"The threat appears much worse than it has in a long time," the Yemeni official said.

According to three sources, the United States has information that al Qaeda in Yemen was in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack.

Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites

One of the sources said the preparations appeared to have increased in recent days with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, while a U.S. official noted it was unclear whether the plot would be directed at a target inside Yemen or elsewhere.

"Current information suggests that al Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," the State Department travel alert said.

It warned that "terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," and noted in particular that they may attack public transportation.

While the worldwide alert applied to any U.S. citizens abroad, it specified that the main region of concern was the Middle East and North Africa

Source: CNN